Latvia s Health Tourism Cluster

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Della Pearson
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Latvia s Health Tourism Cluster Gunta Uspele Manager of Latvia Health tourism cluster Health Tourism in Latvia is a growing sector of the economy with a high export capacity: - medical tourism(the

1 Latvia s Health Tourism Cluster Gunta Uspele Manager of Latvia Health tourism cluster Health Tourism in Latvia is a growing sector of the economy with a high export capacity: - medical tourism(the highest); - SPA and Wellness weekend offers; - rural tourism of eco SPA services (Tourism development state agency s study, 2010). Health tourism in Latvia and Jūrmala has historical traditions that are based on the resort rehabilitation and SPAs, in medical processes unique Latvian natural medical resources are used. 1

2 Health tourism development is hampered by: 1. Lack of human resources in the field of medical tourism; 2. Absence of coordinated marketing activities in a joint system that works for export markets; 3. Fragmented, not integrated tourism products; 4. There is no well - designed framework for cooperation with foreign tourism companies; 5. A negative image of the Latvian health care; 6. Missing of an innovative range of products with the use of Latvian natural healing resources; 7. No systematic studies of balneology field: climate, mud, thermal and mineral water effects on health and various diseases. 8. Lack of adequate legislation to contribute to a resort development; 9. Latvian higher education institutions does not offer study programs in resortology (Resortology - a branch of medicine that studies the natural medical resources, their impact on the body, the use them in prophylaxis or on certain diseases). There is knowledge of rehabilitation and physical medicine, but lack of knowledge about resortology! 10. Insufficient EU Structural Funds support the development of resorts and health tourism infrastructure s reconstruction ( ). 2

3 60 members: Research and educational institutions, Resort rehabilitation centres; Hospitals(state and municipal); Local tourism organizations; SPA hotels; Eco - cosmetic manufacturers; Tourism companies; Municipalities (Kuldīga, Jūrmala, Ventspils, Liepāja); NGO info partners like European SPAs Association. Basic directions: 1. Common marketing (branding, market research, common web page with options of booking services, advertising in foreign media; 2. Workshops, seminars, meetings and fairs abroad; 3. Collaboration of enterprises in creation of complex health tourism packages in Latvia; 4. Promoting cooperation between the cluster partners; 5. Cooperation in development of new innovative products in (climate, thermal and mineral water, mud research, the use of these products in treatments); 3

4 6. Promoting cooperation among cluster partners and higher education institutions in the field of human resources (develop and introduce resortology study programs, training seminars); 7. Developing partnership among members of cluster and research institutions in development of new and innovative products and services that will use the capital of unique Latvia s natural healing resources; 8. Cluster expansion and international cooperation opportunities; 9. Representing the interests of the sector's legal acts base (to improve it to promote successful development of health tourism, for example medical visas, the resort status); 10. Effective cluster coordination. Objectives (for 2020): 1. At least 30 new members; 2. Increase effectivness of medical staff by 30%; 3. Increase of health tourists and amount of health treatments by 60%; 4. At least 10 new students of resortology per year; 5. Increase of investment for research of natural resources and development of new treatments and health products by 300%. 4

5 Strengthes - Competitive price of medical services; - Natural healing resources; - Advantageous geographic location, relatively developed infrastructure; - Experienced medical staff; - There is no language barrier with CIS countries; - Various SPA and medical services offer by cluster members at lower prices than in Scandinavia, Western Europe; - Significant Latvia s natural healing resources (mud, mineral waters that form the basis of many SPA services and products with high added value); - An important advantage - favourable geographical position (long coastal strip of pine trees, good microclimate). 5

6 For cooperation Creating of Baltic sea health cluster Common marketing, branding in Russia and CIS countries EU fund support, like Central Baltic programme from autumn,

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