Previous
THE FIVE REASONS FOR A EUROPEAN SPA BREAK
Added: (Thu Oct 09 2008)
THE FIVE REASONS FOR A EUROPEAN SPA BREAK
Spa breaks are becoming increasingly popular.
According to research by The Leisure Database Company (2006 figures), in the UK it is estimated 10% of the population indulge in a spa break in this country every year – purchasing six million spa treatments, and spending £135million.
This figure is expected to double by 2011.
The same research revealed a further 10 million people travelled to Europe and beyond for their spa break.
There are various reasons for this. But the most attractive is the huge range of health and beauty treatments, many of which are not available in the UK.
Many of these have proven healing properties, and can help people with cardiovascular problems like hypertension and heart disease, or gastrological issues including stomach ulcers and inflammation of the gall bladder.
Beauty treatments are equally effective, with a number of spas offering suction pump massage to assist cell regeneration and wrinkle improvement, or laser therapy for skin rejuvenation, and ‘oxygen salons’ to delay the ageing process.
Permanent make-up is another option. In one Polish spa, to have both eyebrows and eyeliners treated would cost about £270, compared to approximately £1100 in the UK!
Slovenia and Croatia are affordable destinations for beauty treatments, whilst Poland and Hungary are known for their medical expertise.
Treatments are of an equal or higher standard than those available in the UK. This is making medical tourism a more viable option than in the past.
Procedures such as Botox injections, liposuction and teeth whitening are very popular and lots of people – men and women – are choosing to recuperate in a spa, rather than coming straight home.
The potential cost savings are huge – not just on the initial treatments, but in the long-term. For example, permanent make-up could be expensive at first, but would dramatically reduce your annual cosmetics bill!
The same could be said for the health treatments, which often remove the need for a daily pill and vitamin intake.
Many resorts are in beautiful surroundings – it’s not unusual to have a backdrop of stunning mountain ranges or forests – and the calm relaxing atmospheres can only help the treatments take effect.
In some cases, the spas embrace the healing properties of the natural environments around them.
In Hungary for example, the Heviz Spa takes its water from the nearby Lake Heviz, which is renowned for its high mineral content. The name Heviz actually means ‘healthy water’.
There is also a vast range of things to do outside the resort. You could have a candlelit dinner whilst being entertained by musicians from the Hungarian State Opera, or indulge in a trip on the Orient Express, or play a round on one of the challenging local golf courses.
Wine enthusiasts could visit one of the hundreds of local vineyards, and you could take in some extraordinary restaurants like Borkatakomba, a suburb of Budapest which is also known as The City of Champagne and Wine.
There are hundreds of other options.
It is easy to see why spa breaks have become so attractive.
For more information, call Allo Travel – experts in health travel – on 01785 818833, or visit the company’s website: www.allotours.co.uk.
Ends