WelDest Camp at Naantali

The city of Naantali  (link)at the south-west coast is the fourth oldest city in Finland. Naantali was founded around the mediaeval Brigittine convent Vallis gratiae, the church which still dominates town’s skyline. The charter was signed by King Christopher of Sweden, the then ruler of Finland, in 1443. The convent got trading rights and other privileges, and the town around it began to grow. It also became an important destination for pilgrimage. In the 16th century, as Catholicism gave way to Protestantism as the official religion of Finland, the convent was closed, and the town plunged into a depression. The year 1863 saw the founding of the spa at Cape Kalevanniemi, which raised the town's status as a holiday venue. In 1922, the Kultaranta estate on Luonnonmaa Island was made the officla summer residence for the President of the Republic of Finland.

In Naantali there are one million traveling days and 600.000 visitors per year. There are many important points of interest in the city; the biggest is the Moomin World theme park on the island of Kailo. Also the old town and the church together form a unique and idyllic area which tempts visitors all around the world. Approximately 20 % of visitors come from abroad. In addition to Moomins, the Naantali Spa Hotel, the largest spa in the Nordic countries, is also one of the main attractions.

WelDest Camp at Villa Randala

The Finnish camp took place on Thursday 5^th June at Villa Randala, a charming old villa by the sea in Naantali. In total ten stakeholders accepted the invitation to come and pilot the self-assessment tool for WelDest. In addition to our industry partners we had other stakeholders as such the representative of Naantali Spa, the head of Naantali Tour Guide’s association, The Head of International Business Development Services / Center of Economic Development, Transport and Environment of Finland Proper, and two representatives of the City of Naantali and the owner of Villa Randala.

 

The camp was able to identify several strengths from well-being point of view e.g. the long history as a spa destination, diversified offer of treatments (especially pampering and relaxation treatments), nature, outdoor activities, serenity of the area, the life styles of the old wooden city and the archipelago area, and the role of Naantali Tourism Ltd as the coordinating body. The strategy of Naantali Tourism has already identified wellness customers as one core segment and e.g. development is initiated based on customer feedback. The development points discussed were e.g. the need to productize overall well-being (body, mind and soul) packages and the personal information services for health and well-being. Also locality and local traditions could be highlighted even more.

 

 
 





  

 

WelDest in Denmark – the 19th annual ESPA congress in Vejle

Does your destination have the potential to become a health and well-being destination? What are its strengths? What is it lacking? And how can it improve? These and other questions are being addressed by the 5-country consortium making up the WelDest project team.

The WelDest project (co-financed by Erasmus/LLP), focusing on the development of Health and Well-being tourism destinations, was represented at the ESPA congress this May at the beautiful Hotel Vejleford in Vejle, Denmark. This was the 19th year of the Congress for the members of ESPA, which acts as an umbrella organization promoting spas and balneology in Europe. The congress offered presentations and workshops for members and other attendees as well as a forum for networking, and other events.

Donna Dvorak, from the Institute of Hospitality Management in Prague, spoke to ESPA members and congress attendees about the results of the project and the creation of the 2 key outputs – the e-handbook and the self-assessment tool. These are being formed on the basis of primary and secondary research conducted by the WelDest team, and will serve both students and those already working in the industry. The e-handbook will provide both a theoretical background for the important concepts and ideas in the development of a health and well-being destination, as well as practical tips and guidance for those in the industry, all illustrated by the most relevant and up-to-date case studies from around Europe and various parts of the world.

Accompanying the e-handbook is the self-assessment tool, an Excel-based instrument covering 68 points divided into 7 chapters intended to aid destinations in determining where they lie on the path to becoming a H&WB destination. Those involved in the management and development of the destination can use the tool to generate results indicating how far away they are from becoming a H&WB destination, and what management or development activities need to be undertaken to achieve this.

The WelDest team would like to thank ESPA for their invitation to the congress and the opportunity to familiarize such an important and influential audience with the work it has been doing. It was an honor to be represented in Vejle, and we look forward to future opportunities for mutual support and cooperation.