Description
(Text)
In 2010 the Global Status Report on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) published by World Health Organisation declared that of the 57 million deaths that occurred globally in 2008, almost two thirds were due to NCDs, comprising mainly cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic lung diseases which are caused by four behavioral risk factors that are pervasive aspects of economic transition, rapid urbanization and 21st-century lifestyles: tobacco use, unhealthy diet, insufficient physical activity and the harmful use of alcohol (WHO, 2010:vii). Under these conditions medical costs grow inversely to the state of health. As diseases opposition wellness embodies the solving concept of the current issues of health deterioration. However, while the field of sickness was systemised and structured throughout the history the field of health preservation and retention was the subject of personal responsibility. The approach towards wellness and spa subject is challenging in terms ofinformation overload. However, the scope of health tourism that is the main subject of interest within the present work is even more obscure due to its multi-aspect and multilevel structure. The whole work presents the following practical values: a) Overview of the ongoing situation within spa/wellness industry, b) Overview of matching the demand of customers by the supply of spas, c) Systemising wellness/treatment attractiveness of countries to health tourists. Formulated values are the need for secure freedom for entrepreneurs and customers in terms of investments or personal health care. The present work is an essence of different visions unified in one point contemporary health tourism that is aimed to be structured.
(Extract)
"While defining the ongoing processes, spa and wellness were named as a global concept brand, the development of which will be nourished by customer needs and tailored by the vision of entrepreneurs. As it was noted in the hypothesis of the present work: Human mind as a pull factor and Human need as a push factor drive the phenomenon [of the health tourism] that has existed since the first indisposed one looked for the remedy. It was found that once spa and wellness have become a global concept brand their overuse brought a side effect that calls brand dilution. However, the inferences described above were done theoretically, whereas comprehension of the present-day state necessitates the extension which could be implemented only by means of specific practical research. (...)"
(Author portrait)
Prof. Dr. Christian Buer lehrt Betriebswirtschaft an der Hochschule Heilbronn. Schwerpunkt seiner Lehre ist die betriebswirtschaftliche Beratung internationaler Unternehmen. Mit dieser Professur lehrt er die wichtigsten Fragen zu touristischen Unternehmen insbesondere Hotels. 2006 übernahm Prof. Dr. Buer die Aufgabe als Dekan für die gesamte dienstleistungsorientierte Wirtschaftsfakultät 2 an der Hochschule Heilbronn. Prof. Dr. Buer hat sein Studium der Betriebswirtschaft an der Hochschule St. Gallen/ Schweiz absolviert und seine Tätigkeit an der Steigenberger Consulting GmbH aufgenommen. Im Juni 1998 wechselte er als Group Director Marketing Service & Development zu Arabella Sheraton und war für die Hotelentwicklung und -akquisitionen sowie für das Marketing der einzelnden Hotelbetriebe verantwortlich. Im Januar 2000 begann er seine Tätigkeit bei der FUNDUS Hotelentwicklungs- und Verwaltungsgesellschaft
