>> The fair was visited by the Spanish Minister of Environment, Rural and Marine, Elena Espinosa
 
>> The Galician waters succeeded again in the International Water Tasting
 

Ourense, 17/10/09.- “Termatalia has been able to increase in spite of the crisis. This proves that the health tourism is a sector of future, with more demand, that creates employment and it is an example of sustainable economy”. These were the words pronounced by the Spanish Minister of Environment, Rural and Marine, Elena Espinosa after her visit to the fair.

Not only the Minister saw the fair, but also the Galician Councillor of Education and University Order, Jesús Vázquez. He visited the Workshop about Water Cooking that this afternoon was given by the students of the I.E.S. Hotel Management of Vilamarín. The General Director of Trade, Nava Castro visited Termatalia too.
 
Meeting of Thermal Cities

Today, the IV International Meeting about Water and Thermalism hold the Meeting of Thermal Cities. Ourense was one more year the host of this forum which is sponsored by the Deputy Major of Ourense. In this edition, two of the main European Thermalism referents participated: the cities of Baden-Baden, in Germany, and Karlovy Vary, in the Czech Republic.
 
Furthermore, this meeting presented the experience of a thermal company with big weight in Galicia, the group Caldaria. On the other hand, the president of Villas Termales (Thermal Villages) of Spain, Francisco Escobedo, presented his new mark of quality. In the afternoon a special session about the thermalism in Latin America was celebrated. Representatives of Argentina, Mexico and Peru took part in it.
 
This day finished with the departure of the provincial route organised by the INORDE which presented the complementary offer to the thermalism in Ourense.

International Water Tasting

Today took place the VII edition of the International Water Tasting, in which triumphed again Galician waters in almost all the categories. It was organized by the Galician Tasters Associations and the jury was integrated by an international panel of experts coming from Portugal, Italy, Mexico and Spain.
 
The General Director of Trade, Nava Castro head the delivery of the prizes and highlighted the fact that the Galician bottled companies competed in an international level and she also explained that the water is a product that identify our community as well as the wine or the gastronomy.

The awarded waters were:
 
VERY LOW MINERAL CONTENT WATER:
1st prize: Agua Sana
2nd prize: Bezoya

LOW MINERAL CONTENT WATER:
1st prize: Cabreiroá
2nd prize: Fuente del Val
3rd prize: Fontecelta
 
NATURAL SPARKLING WATER:
1st prize: Cabreiroá Única

2nd prize: Pedras Salgadas
 
NATURAL SPARKLING WATER:
1st prize: Vimeiro Sparkle
2nd prize: Mondariz con gas
3rd prize: Agua Sana
 

Activities Programme

Termatalia closes its second day after an intense day of activities. Between the presentations that took place today highlighted one of Eurochile. It was presented the Club of the Product: “Chile, thermal country”, a campaign that pretends to develop and increase the competitiveness of the 60 thermal installations of the country. On the other hand, the City council of Oviedo was presented as a thermal village and gave to know the services of the new spa “The Caldas Villa Termal”.
 
Today were also presented the new campaign of promotion of the Provincial Tourism Employers Management of Ourense named “Ourense, thermal soul” and the magazine “Ourense 21st century” managed by Magdalena Del Amo and which had the presence of the president of the provincial Deputation, José Luis Baltar.
 
The exhibitors had also the opportunity to present their products. As a result of this, more details of different products could be known.  For example, “Bucco-term”, the first range of dental hygiene based on thermal water and unique in the World; “Papimi”, a medical device oriented to technicians of cellular regeneration or the last services of “Nutricare”, company of nutrition and aesthetic.
 
Moreover, Termatalia received the first day of the V International Meeting of Ecology of the Water with a complete program of reports, performance and didactic and sensory workshops.  Furthermore, today was closed the National Congress of Hydrology.

Today, the journey will conclude with the celebration of the presentation of the Xacobeo 2010 that will take place in the Cultural Centre of the Deputation of Ourense and in where the Galician General Secretary of Tourism will announce the details of the Saint Year to the delegations of distinct countries that these days assist to Termatalia.
 
Tomorrow Termatalia will close its doors surpassing the expectations of public since the day of today has had big influx of visitors. The act of official closure will be at 13.00 hours and will run to charge of the Galician Councillor of Culture and Tourism, Roberto Varela.