Stuttgart/Wiesbaden, 3 September 2012 | The European Spas Association has published the EuropeSpa med criteria for medical spas and medical wellness providers. The book Quality Standard for Medical Spas and Medical Wellness Providers in Europe (ISBN 978-3-510-65273-0, 181 pages, 25 x 17 cm, printed in two colours, German/English, hardback, €79.90) was unveiled today by publishing house Schweizerbart Verlag (www.schweizerbart.de) in Stuttgart.
For the first time, this compendium sets out about 1,000 quality and safety criteria for medicinal water, peloids, swimming pools, saunas, diagnostics, types of treatment, quality management, human resources, cuisine, accommodation and facilities. This is a ground-breaking move – for never before in this field have the core characteristics of quality been published on such an extensive scale. The book is intended to provide guidance to all spas and medical wellness facilities which are determined to achieve a high standard of quality. It is therefore aimed at all quality professionals in the sector. Moreover, the book explains the criteria that must be met in order to obtain a EuropeSpa certificate.
The European Spas Association’s quality initiative
The EuropeSpa quality standards are the result of an initiative by the European Spas Association. They have been developed and compiled by a scientific committee of industry experts on the basis of more than 30 national and international laws and standards and continuously optimized in the course of over 100 audits since 2006. The EuropeSpa med certification covers areas which are internationally comparable in Europe, namely service, safety, hygiene and infrastructure. Since the start of EuropeSpa, around 50 spas and medical wellness facilities in 11 countries have been awarded the EuropeSpa certificate.
Basis for a level playing field in Europe
“International and transparent, uniform throughout Europe, and at the highest level,” is how author Kurt von Storch sums up the principles on which the quality standards are based. And he stressed the book’s importance for transparent competition in Europe. “A quality certificate isn’t just an attractive logo. And formulating demands and monitoring their compliance aren’t enough either. Only by publishing them can the stringent standards met by the holders of the EuropeSpa med certificate be made appreciable.”
Joachim Lieber, Secretary-General of the European Spas Association (ESPA), added: “It’s thanks to its network that only an international body like ESPA can publish a compendium like this. The EuropeSpa initiative is a milestone for more transparency and fairness in international health tourism.”
The book can be ordered directly from the publisher at:
http://www.schweizerbart.de/publications/detail/isbn/9783510652730