History of health tourism

Since ancient times, many people have gone to the vicinity of the river and mineral waters for spiritual relaxation and healing (Vajirakachurn, 2004), and warm waters have been associated with relaxation and renewal of human physical and mental powers since ancient times. In the international language, the word spa, which has Bulgarian roots (or from the Latin word espa, meaning spring or spara), is used for areas with mineral and warm waters that tourists seek refuge in for rest and treatment. For centuries, the users of such areas bathe in hot water, drink mineral spring water, and use the properties of mud and mud for healing purposes.

The history of health tourism goes back thousands of years to ancient Greece, when pilgrims from various places reached an area in the Saronic Gulf called Epidoria by crossing the Mediterranean Sea. It was believed that the mihrab of the healing god of the Greeks, Asclepius, is located there. The patients sought to cure their illnesses by fasting and praying. Currently, Epidoria is known as the oldest origin of medical tourism in the world. (Fernando et al., 2010, 59)
The history of health tourism goes back to 1000 to 5000 years BC, when many therapeutic works were performed in natural springs, which are offered in spas today. Ancient Greece introduced hydrotherapy to the Roman Empire, and Rome built the first spas in Europe. After that, other empires built different types of spas, and the Ottoman Empire built the first Turkish bath (Smith et al, 2010:89).
In England, the development of seaside resorts stemmed from the belief that the use of seawater was beneficial in the treatment of diseases. According to Whiteman, in Europe, mineral water springs and hydrotherapy clinics received serious attention at the end of the 18th century, and in addition to being equipped with equipment suitable for the composition of the waters, the spaces around them were also designed to benefit from tranquility and peace. Natural landscapes were arranged. (Atek, 2017).
In such clinics, medical consulting teams are busy prescribing the duration and how to use each type of water to treat various diseases. The visitors to these spas are mostly patients who suffer from various skin disorders, rheumatic pains, arthritis, excessive physical fatigue and exhaustion, gout, inflammation of the vertebrae and spine, in addition to digestive and respiratory disorders.
In the United States, people have been traveling to mineral springs, seaside resorts, and spas. The first spa in America appeared in the early 19th century, which was the developed form of these commercial destinations, natural hot springs and therapeutic hotels, this area now offers tourists the medical heritage of the past (Smith et al. 2010:89). ).
There are many evidences and traces of the importance of hot and mineral waters among Iranians. Especially Bo Ali Sina's classifications, which divided these areas into spiritual sanatoriums, healing springs and hot springs and examined how to use each category, shows the scientific importance of such areas for Iranians.
Over time, tourism based on the use of mineral waters and spas has gained a wide meaning, and the use of natural features such as healthy air is also considered a part of health tourism (Vajirakachuran, 2004). It included the travel of patients in order to receive various medical services. (Carra and Brij, 2006) This type of health tourism with the term medical tourism is newer than other sectors and has received much attention from planners and researchers in the last decade. Today, in different parts of the world, various plans are made in the field of building hotels, clinics with all health equipment, along with hospitals with the necessary standards for health tourism, and apart from verbal communication, different parts of health tourism cannot be implemented. One part is considered successful without the other.
This type of tourism is popular in developed countries such as Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland, Greece, New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, Canada and developing countries such as Cuba, the Caribbean, Croatia, India, Jordan, Bahrain, Malaysia and Thailand. Vajirakachorn, 2004).
Regarding the growth of health tourism, it should be said that this emerging phenomenon has occupied a small but important and growing part of the tourism market. The health tourism market is growing at a much higher growth rate compared to other types of tourism. The average annual growth of tourism is generally 3.4%, while the minimum growth rate estimated for the health tourism market is 10% annually. (tourism highlights)
In general, since the early 1970s, tourism found its place as an industry among other industries.
Florence Nightingale was among the first to promote medical tourism in the late 19th century. He used to guide patients for treatment from Swiss mineral water springs to Turkish mineral water springs, which were cheaper.