Thalassotherapy – A Healing Approach in a Growing Wellbeing-Industry
Prof. Dr. Kai Illing
1. Introduction
The term Thalassotherapy stems from the Greek word thálassa (θάλασσα) meaning sea or ocean and
comprises many seawater-based treatments. Treatments on the base of remedies taken from the sea
are quite common in Europe and used as well in wellness tourism as in medical tourism. The medical
capabilities of the Thalassotherapy have been extensively discussed in Illing 2018 whereas the article
in hand tries to focus on tourist aspects and the chances Thalassotherapy offers to the growing
wellness and wellbeing industry.
There are some European countries the social insurances of which pay for certain treatments offered
in the realm of Thalassotherapy. In other countries, the Thalassotherapy remained in a state of a
popular and somehow shamanistic state that does have much to do with evidence-based medicine.
2. The Thalasso-world of treatments
Thalassotherapy capitalizes on many natural remedies that are offered by the sea:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Light/Sun Air/Wind Sand Peloide Seawater Algae Salt A
Remedies
(non- (herbal)
herbal)
All relevant weather More solid substances Seawater and its ingredients B
conditions as part of the beach
Sunbath Peeling Peeling Shower (jet Cosmetics, Peeling C
shower) skin care
Sport and other outdoor Sand Wrapping Underwater massage Salty air D
Treatments
activities (gym) bath (pack) inhalation
Heliotherapy Salty air Drinking Food, pills Food E
inhalation cure
Wrapping F
Rubbing G
Massage H
Bath (Thalasso circuit) I
Table 1: The Thalasso-grid (source: Adapted from Illing 2018, p. 104.)
Basically, almost all Thalasso treatments can be offered in a more non-medical context or in a more
medical one. The latter one makes it necessary to hire medical therapists or even medical doctors.
Those treatments being under the double rule (grey colour) are more often part of medically
supervised treatments. Explanations:
1C: Sunbath is normally not recommended as a high exposure to sunshine may cause skin cancer.
But certain skin diseases can be relieved if the exposure to sunshine is medically guided.
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If your establishment concentrates on 6C your location might be far away from the sea. Amongst
others you offer cosmetic treatments using those with algae and maybe salt for salt baths. To foster
the sustainable background of your products you may use salt that is harvested by a saltern directly
by the sea. A saltwater pool may be an appropriate diversification of your pool area that might
comprise mostly sweet water pools.
Salty air inhalation as mentioned in 2E and 7D are most often offered in medical institutions that
care of patients suffering from respiratory diseases. An inhalation of this kind offers a relief for the
respiratory tract since it has a secretolytic effect. Inhalation with salty air can be done directly by the
beach inhaling the maritime aerosols or in the medical spa with an inhaler. The best effect can be
reached if people are in the breaking wave zone. An even small distance of 15 metres can reduce the
effect by 50%.
3D is normally offered as thermal therapy aiming at relieving the locomotory system. But this kind
of thermal treatment can also be offered in a mere wellbeing context causing a cozy feeling of
warmth. A sand bath can be done in a sand bed in your spa, but it can also be offered at the beach
using sand that is taken from the beach directly.
3C, 4C and 7C underline that many different materials taken from the sea can be used for peelings
that are mostly booked for wellbeing and cosmetic purposes. Peelings can be made in a treatment
room but also in combination with a sauna ritual in a Razul bath. It helps not only to remove dirt but
also to peel off loose skin scales.
5I and 6I lead to a discussion of what character the pool that offers salt water should be. The pool
might be rather simple offering just saltwater or it may be quite sophisticated equipped with various
water jets providing an underwater massage. The water jets may eject the water with different
power, they may be directed to different body areas and they may eject water of different
temperature.
6E is normally offered in the hotel’s restaurant where the so-called Mediterranean Food
consisting of red wine, olive oils, and many different types of fish can be taken as one important
pillar in a healthy food concept. 6E also comprises all dietary supplements that are based on algae
and other ingredients that are taken from the seawater.
5G, 6G, and 7G normally use a massage sponge to get the salt water, the algae peeling, and the
salt spread and rubbed in the body part targeted. This procedure is often done by a therapist. If salt
water is used it can be done in the way the Vichy Shower does it taking the water from a little shower
from above which is part of the massage bench.
7E: Salt as food means that hotels with a major in cuisine and delicious food attach importance to
offer various types of salt such as seawater salt, mountain salt, herbal salt, iodised salt etc.
5I and 6I: A so-called Thalasso-circuit aims at offering a certain way through the saltwater pools to
be done in a predefined order with the purpose of improving the medical outcome and/or to deepen
the wellbeing experience. Such a Thalasso-circuit can be done at the beach including real seawater,
but it can also be done in the spa using different types of pools such as a counter current pool (work
out, toning the tissue, accelerating the pulse), a hydromassage in a jacuzzy-like smaller pool-type
(relaxation), another pool offering a swan jet (muscle relaxation, improving the circulation), whirlpool
beds (relaxation and simultaneously activating venous circulation), a drainage section (ascending jets
from the ground activating the blood circulation of the foot and the lower part of the legs, lymphatic
drainage), and last but not least a cooler salt water bath that is to get the blood circulation in balance
again so that the guests can leave the Thalasso-circuit refreshed without a breakdown because of a
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low blood circulation. Those Thalasso-circuits can be planned in a more activating, healing or relaxing
way. It depends on the strategy of the company, of the type of the guests, and of the possibility to
get patients sent by health insurances.
A Thalasso-circuit does not have necessarily something to do with pools. A succession of Thalasso-
based treatments can start with a peeling (algae peeling), followed by a warm salt-bath in a hot tub,
and finalized with a massage using oil made of algae. Many European cosmetics manufacturers play
on Thalasso products successfully advertising with keywords such as “authenticity”, “clean ocean
water”, “the power of the sea”, and the like.
If a saltwater pool is planned attention should be paid to the many difficulties concerning the pool-
technology because saltwater has a tremendous eroding effect on water pipes, water treatments
plants, and other elements of the water technology.
3. A medical concept based on Thalassotherapy
The following chart is to show a medical concept that was made by the author of this article for a
medical hotel on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus (Europe). The ThalassaLIFE preventive concept
aims to achieve purification and relief: Purification stands for physical and mental cleansing. The
detoxifying process will relieve guests from harming body poisons. Purification is a prerequisite for
relief and healing. Relief aims to free guests from their burdens of lifestyle diseases. ThalassaLIFE
means that lifestyle diseases are going to be treated using as well conventional (western) as
alternative treatments in a preventive and non-invasive manner. In this sense healing, relief, and
wellbeing will be reached with aid of a holistic combination of conventional and alternative
treatments.
Table 2: A medical concept based on Thalassotherapy (source: Illing 2015)
The author of this article suggests differentiating between the means (instruments, “how”) on the
one hand and the results (aims, “what”) on the other hand. The way to design a spa concept in this
way is to present not only the instruments (“what do I have to do?”) but also the aims guests have
when they visit the spa (“what do I get after doing all the procedures?”).
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4. Summary
Thalassotherapy is a quite comprising approach to tourist health care centers playing successfully on
authenticity, healing, wellbeing, and (medical) prevention. It can be integrated into medical
companies (medical hotel, specialized clinics offering natural remedies) as it can be integrated into
hotel spas focusing on relaxing and beauty services. It is recommended to have Thalassotherapy
realized in establishments by the sea, but some treatments can also be realized successfully far away
from it.
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The author of this article is a university teacher, consultant, and hotel developer focusing on medical
hotels. He is specialized in making business plans, strategy papers, feasibility studies for health
tourism companies. Another major of the author is quality management and business development
for tourist companies in general.
FHProf. Dr. Kai Illing
TourismDevelopmentHealthCare TDC
Austria: Floecking 194, 8200 Gleisdorf
Germany: Annastrasse 18, 12247 Berlin
Mobile: +43 6888198807
Mail:
[email protected]www.med-tourism.eu
www.regiosana.eu
