The challenge of balanced regional development: health tourism in the Regional Unity of Fthiotida – a potential instrument of regional and intra-regional inequalities alleviation?

ABSTRACT

This paper intends to approach the challenging issue of facilitating policy making towards balanced regional development policy by highlighting the structural problems of long-lasting and deteriorating regional inequalities in Greece. On the other hand, since the Regional Unity of Fthiotida enjoys a considerable capacity in terms of natural resources and a high number of thermal springs, the development of alternative tourism forms (e.g. wellness, thermal, ecotourism, religious, agricultural, etc.) seems to be one of the instruments with which those development problems can be gradually alleviated and lead the way towards the regional economic improvement. The paper portrays the recent legislative developments undertaken at a domestic level. It also takes into consideration the current trends linked to the economic impact induced by the wellness industry worldwide. Thus, it aspires to provide aspects that may trigger substantial interest in part of the region’s overarching development advantages. These include, first and foremost, its natural capital in thermal springs. The current paper has been based on the available secondary official data and information drawn from targeted international and domestic institutional bodies, organisations, stakeholders, and the literature using relevant search key words.

KEYWORDS:

• Health
• wellness
• thermal
• niche
• tourism
• Greece

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Municipality of Domokos takes part in the Board of Directors of the Inter-Municipal Enterprise of Dranista – Kaitsa Thermal Waters according to the 12007 Decision of the General Secretaries of Central Greece Region and Thessaly Region (Government Gazette 1712 Β’/9/10-09-1999). https://cutt.ly/8H7IHaf

2 According to its founding Law (3986/2011) the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) marks as the instrument that will leverage the State’s private property assigned to it by the Hellenic Republic. HRADF is assigned to mature contracts that are part of the Development Programme for Contracts of Strategic Importance. Therefore, maturation services, carry out the tender process and supervise the implementation stage for projects of strategic importance. Source: https://hradf.com/en/home/

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Theodoros Dimopoulos

Theodoros P. Dimopoulos is a Ph.D. Candidate of the Physiotherapy Department, University of Thessaly conducting his research on thermal, rehabilitation, and wellness tourism with a focus on the Regional Unity of Fthiotida. His BSc is on Social Work, while his master’s expertise is related to healthcare management and economics gained by the Department of Economics, University of Piraeus. His professional experience derives from the fields of governmental policy, healthcare, social work, and social care both in the public and the private sector. Additionally, he has worked at the National Health Operations Center (EKEPY) and taken the tasks of the Head of the Board of Directors at the Social Welfare Center of the Region of Central Greece and of the alternate Member of the Board of Directors at the interconnected hospitals of Lamia – Amfissa – Karpenisi. He has been appointed as an external associate of the Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) on Rapid Risk Assessment (RRA), EU Commission, while recently he has been among the delegates of the European Health Parliament (7th Edition).

Christos Genitsaropoulos

Dr. Christos Genitsaropoulos is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Physiotherapy, University of Thessaly, Greece. He holds a master's degree in statistics from the Economic University of Athens, Greece. Also, he holds PhD in Economic and Regional Development from University of Central Greece. He has more than 15 years of experience in research and teaching. His research interest is regional economic development, regional and intra-regional inequalities.

Angeliki N. Menegaki

Dr. Angeliki N. Menegaki is an Associate Professor of Applied Economics in the Agricultural University of Athens – EU CONEXUS. She has received her PhD in Economics from the University of Stirling, her master’s degree from the University of Leeds, England, her first degree in Economics from the University of Crete, while her second degree in Turkish Language she received from Democritus University of Thrace. She has lectured in many Universities in Greece and abroad and has held various positions in the public sector and the private sector. She has authored more than 70 articles in peer-reviewed international journals with an impact factor and she has authored and/or supervised 10 books in Greek and English language. She has received more than 2000 citations and she belongs to the top 2% world scientists in the field of energy based on Stanford University list. She is the Editor in Chief in the International Journal of the Energy-Growth Nexus. Her research interests are environmental economics, energy economics, tourism economics.

George Xanthos

Dr. George Xanthos is an Associate Professor in the Department of Business Administration and Tourism, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Greece. He holds an MSc and PhD in Regional Development and Planning from Panteion University, Greece. Currently, he is Director of Research Laboratory of Operation Research and Audit. He has published 21 peer-review articles in international Journals. His research interests and expertise include regional planning, forecasting at regional level and data analysis and he has participated in various research projects.

Nikolaos Strimpakos

Dr. Nikolaos Strimpakos is a Professor in the Department of Physiotherapy, University of Thessaly, Greece. He holds an MSc and PhD in Rehabilitation from University of Manchester, UK and has BSc in both Physiotherapy and Sports Science. Currently, he is Director of Research Institute of Rehabilitation and Wellbeing (PEK IASON), Director of Health Assessment and Quality of Life Lab, Vice-Head of Physiotherapy Department, and member of Quality Assurance Unit of University of Thessaly. He holds an honorary contract as Research Associate from the University of Manchester since 2004. He is also member of Education Working Group of European Region of World Physiotherapy and National Delegate of European Society for Shoulder and Elbow Rehabilitation (EUSSER). He has written more than 55 peer-review articles in international Journals having up to now more than 2500 citations (h index > 25). His research interest and expertise concern the musculoskeletal rehabilitation, development of objective and subjective outcome measures, exercise in chronic diseases, hydrotherapy and has been principal investigator or member of research teams in several projects.