Health tourism a booster for the Costa del Sol

The warm Costa del Sol sunshine and Mediterranean diet make it a healthy destination for tourists

A spell in the Spanish sunshine can lift the weightiest of spirits, but more often than not one would imagine that a summer dose of the Costa del Sol leaves holidaymakers a little heavier than when they arrived.

After a week or two indulging in excellent Spanish cuisine, incredible local wine, gallons of crisp beer and hours of lounging by pools, on beaches and in shaded squares, tourists could be forgiven for punching an extra hole in their belts as they pack to leave…But the Costa del Sol Tourism Board evidently has other ideas as it begins a campaign to promote the areas as a leading health tourism destination. The abundance of private treatment clinics on the Costa del Sol could treat as many as 40,000 health tourists a year by 2017, according to the International Medical Travel Journal.

The area’s accessibility for visitors all across Europe and beyond means that the Costa del Sol is ideally placed to lead the way in health tourism – an industry that is expected to boom over the next decade. Allied to the region’s famously healthy climate and cuisine – one of the finest in the world for longevity – the Tourism Board could well be on to something.

Having already worked closely with a number of national ministries of health and tourism across the continent, the Tourism Board has set up Spaincares – a marketing brand that will collaborate with health ministries of Europe to promote the Costa del Sol as a place to head to for all manner of treatments and therapies designed to promote good health.

In addition to Spaincares, the Tourism & Health Spain group has also been created to work with several clinics, spas, gyms and hotels in promoting the value of healthy living the Costa del Sol way.

The bulk of the marketing campaigns will be directed at the UK market, given that Brits account for approximately a quarter of all tourists to Spain, added to the sizeable expat community that already lives in the country, particularly the Costa del Sol. German tourists – famously keen on spa treatments and warm climates – will also likely prove a large market, while the ever-growing Russian market is sure to be attracted to the various health schemes and treatments on offer.