WATER AS AN ANSWER TO WELLNESS AND WELFARE - MORE THAN A LIFE STYLE

Abstract

In 2014, almost half of the customers who have chosen to use the, were aged between 36 and 65 years (25,300/p) and 29% between 16 and 35 years (15,200/p). This type associated with new dilemmas, which affect individuals in nowadays societies, always in search of more welfare, when human aspirations have no boundaries, diseases assume facets that are not always easy to identify (Carvalho,A. et al). This increasing development has a great importance at social level. The Portuguese Spa demand has been growing. Proposal – The impact of this kind of development in social culture. This research aims to analyse - How this impact call for new social restructuring forms and styles of life, but also cover other environments and cultures capable to provide access to more time and leisure. Methodology - Data were obtained inside two SPA’s that belongs to public administration (town hall), as public service (Caldas de Aregos and S. Pedro do Sul) and also from the profound review of literature. It is an important bridge between quantitative and qualitative research methods. We also used an exploratory data analysis. An exploratory analysis is used to find ideas for a theory, but not to test that theory as well. Data analysis and results – The Thermalism in SPA and Welfare way achieved in 2014-2015 56% representation (13% in 2004). Nevertheless it tends to grow more and more. The welfare is the first reason for the customers loyalty. With 51,900 costumers this segment reported an advance compared to the year 2013, 8.3% (+4.0 thousand). Compared to 2013 with 41,500 customers users (44%) classic Hydrotherapy decreased the recent years.(-10.6% less 4,900 customers). The income from those two segments of hydrotherapy (classic and welfare) reached 11.7 million euros, which resulted in a decrease of 10.6%, equivalent to less 1.4 million euros, in 2013. (Turismo de Portugal, 2015). Conclusions - It should be noted that this kind of tourism has been increasing, and also increasing demand, which contributed to improved incoming results for tourism sector. Our proposal was achieved and the data provided were important. Although we don´t have good information available. Summarizing, the level of experience and operation was satisfactory, and certainly that is a very important theme that must be analysed. We found that Spa’s and hydrotherapy are increasingly inserted in Portuguese society, in all age groups. We need to analyse our results more clearly and develop more researches in this important area.