TERMATALIA ourense 2024

Ourense becomes this week the epicenter of world hydrotherapy with the celebration of Termatalia; the International Congress of Thermal Tourism and the XXI National Congress of the Spanish Society of Medical Hydrology

Business and training will be the axes of the fair that will be held on September 29 and 30 and will have 140 exhibitors, 70 speakers and 25 tour operators

The reservation of thermal sessions for 1 euro, Water Bar, Coffee Bar, massage area, workshops on healthy eating and wellness yoga are the main attractions for the public

After a three-year break caused by the global pandemic, Termatalia recovers its role as an international meeting point for the health tourism sector and celebrates its twentieth anniversary by returning as a full fair that combines an exhibition area, specialized training, business and relational capital . The 20th International Fair of Thermal Tourism, Health and Well-being is held in Expourense on September 29 and 30, in a few days in which Ourense becomes a world epicenter since, in addition to Termatalia itself, the International Congress of Thermal Tourism (September 27 to 29) organized by the European Association of Historic Thermal Cities (EHTTA) and the Provincial Council of Ourense under the auspices of the World Tourism Organization. On the afternoon of September 30 and until October 2, between Expourense and the Balneario de Laias, the XXI National Congress of the Spanish Society and Medical Hydrology is also held.

The 20th edition of Termatalia is presented as a face-to-face appointment and as a great meeting point for the international thermal community. It was presented this morning in an act in which the territorial delegate of the Xunta de Galicia in Ourense, Gabriel Alén, participated; the vice president of the Ourense Provincial Council and president of INORDE, Rosendo Fernández, and the director of Termatalia, Rogelio Martínez.

It has the participation of 140 exhibitors from Europe and America, fundamentally. Termatalia 2022 has the direct presence of 25 countries although, if reference is made to the countries represented through the exhibitors present or specific professional actions such as the World Coffee Challenge, this figure rises to 55 represented countries. These data, added to the presence of 70 international speakers, also position Galicia and Ourense as professional training centers in thermalism.

The countries with direct presence at the fair are: Germany, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, Spain, United States, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Panama , Peru, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland and Uruguay.

This new edition will once again focus on the keys to the development of the sector: business training and relational capital, offering a complete program of professional activities in which the need for public-private cooperation for the development of Thermal and Wellness Tourism Worldwide.

BUSINESS SHARES
Termatalia will receive exhibitors from 25 countries in Europe and America. Among the countries that have made a firm commitment to this edition, it is worth highlighting Uruguay, which has confirmed the presence at the fair of its Deputy Minister of Tourism, Remo Monzeglio, who will participate accompanied by a large delegation of thermal businessmen from this country who have increased their interest and participation in Termatalia in this edition that will also have the presence of the Vice Minister of Tourism of Panama and the Ministers of Tourism and Health of the province of La Rioja in Argentina.

As usual, a Tourism Recruitment Workshop will be held in which the participation of 25 tour operators from Spain, Germany, Canada, Colombia, the United States and France has been confirmed, and they will meet with Termatalia exhibitors.

TRAINING
The program of the Termatalia 2022 Professional Technical Conference will address thermal water from different perspectives: tourism, heritage, scientific and legal. In addition to the round tables on water organized by the Vice President of the University of Vigo, the Termatalia conference also includes the first session of the Congress of the Medical Hydrology Society that will take place on Friday, September 30 in the afternoon. This session will feature the participation of prestigious world hydrology professionals, many of them authentic gurus for professionals in the sector, such as, to give just one example, Professor Johan Lambeck from Switzerland, a world reference in aquatic therapy.

These days will also include the presentation to tour operators and specialized press of those spa destinations that are committed to Termatalia, such as the province of Ourense itself, Uruguay or the regions of Murcia and Extremadura that are already close collaborators of the fair, to which on this occasion are joined by the Viles Termals de Catalunya.

There will be other presentations aimed at a professional audience, such as the one offered by Aqualia on “New trends in the management of water, energy and minerals in balneotherapy” or the presentation of a pilot study on the effects of balneotherapy in persistent COVID-19 patients in the Thermal Village of Caldes de Montbui.

These conferences are complemented by specific training courses on mineral waters and thermal peloids and with presentations of the latest studies and publications related to the sector, such as the “TERMAGAL” project promoted by the Chair of Medical Hydrology at the University of Santiago de Compostela and Spas of Galicia.

MINERAL WATER
Termatalia will serve as a platform for the Bottled Mineral Water Industry with activities such as the International Water Tasting that will celebrate its 19th edition and in which mineral waters from Spain, Portugal, Costa Rica, Brazil and France participate. The jury will be led by the Galician sommelier Mercedes González and will include a jury of experts from Spain, Portugal, France, Brazil and the United States.

LIVING TERMATALIA – ACTIVITIES FOR THE PUBLIC
Although the fair takes on a more professional character, the organization has prepared a complete program of activities so that the public can experience the fair “giving themselves health and well-being”. One of the novelties of this edition will be the campaign launched by the Provincial Council of Ourense that will distribute 250 thermal sessions at 1 euro at its stand in Termatalia and that will attract the attention of the local public that will not miss this opportunity to enjoy a session for such a reduced price in one of the five spas in the province included in this promotion.

Termatalia 2022 will once again have a Healthy Eating Area that will offer workshops on healthy and conscious eating by nutritionist Adriana Fernández Vidal and expert in sustainable gastronomy Alejandro Madrigal. There will also be direct cooking workshops offered by chef Carlos Parra (Ourense), by chef Erick Sandoval (Costa Rica) or organized by the Auria Diabetic Association in collaboration with Milhflor on healthy appetizers. Several wellness yoga workshops will also be given by the company Experiencia Wellness. For its part, the Territorial Headquarters of the Department of Health of the Xunta de Galicia will have a stand where they will carry out anthropometric measurements and advise on the adoption of healthy lifestyles.

As usual, there will be a Water Bar with international brands from 5 countries; several massage areas that will be offered on the one hand, by the Shalom Center and, on the other, by students since, in addition to different companies, Termatalia has also involved vocational training students from branches related to wellness and hospitality and has already Several VET centers in Galicia and Portugal have confirmed their participation in the activities.

One of the novelties this year is the celebration in Expourense of the World Coffee Challenge – Termatalia 2022 organized by the French company Alternative Café. As a result of it, this year there will also be coffee-oriented activities such as a Coffee Bar or a workshop that explains the importance of water when making good coffee. This contest has had an excellent reception and 75 producers of roasted coffee at origin from more than 15 countries in America, Europe, Africa and Asia will participate.

Termatalia 2022 has the main support of the Xunta de Galicia through the Galician Tourism Agency, the Ourense Provincial Council and the Ourense City Council. In addition, it has as collaborators the company Aqualia, with the Auga Campus of the University of Vigo, the Chair of Medical Hydrology-Spa of Galicia of the University of Santiago de Compostela, El Carmen Medical Center, Mineral Waters of Spain-ANEABE, RENFE, Galician Tourism Cluster and the Spanish Society of Medical Hydrology.

The fair hours will be from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 September. All the information is available at www.termatalia.com and on its social networks.