Spa-development strategy of the South

Great Plain and Vojvodina

Schwertner Jánosexpert

University of Szeged

Cooling Cubes closing conference

Szeged 2014. június 26.

Main goals of the strategy

Goals:- coordinated development of spas in the South Great Plain

and in Vojvodina

- coordination in development strategy between wellness- and medical culture

- bigger role of spas in employment and income generation

- improvment of health condition of local population

- all in all, improving the touristical offer of two regions. Good relationship between Hungarian and Serbian people

Condition of strategy making

There is: political will for cooperation

planning capacity

supply in Hungary

demand in Serbia

There is not: experience in cooperation

operation practice

source

action constraint

We are not: investors

decision makers

Freedom degree's of

project is re

markable

Study & collaboration

Recommendation - institutions

Theoretical Methodological Centre -

– Collecting new information,

– methodological renewal, research

Practical Methodology Centre – – education of specialists

– quality-control of educational process

Cooling Cubes committee -– owners

– operators

– users

– establishing Cooling Cubes brand

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concepts informationsocial insuranceownershipdevelopment documentssourcessustainability space of developments speed of developmentsnatural watersThe guestsnetworkscollective knowledgecivil relationshipscommon ideamarketing-brandResearch and DevelopmenteducationEUinstitutional developmentTime

Recommendation

Recommendation - concepts

• Conceptual clarification, unified methodology

• Spa and wellness tourism are much more separated in Serbia than in Hungary

concerned: government

experts

clusters

Recommendation - information

• Most of the spas don't have information about their own operation (e.g. energy usage, environmental impact, visitors)

• Lack of processing and evaluation• Partly proper datas• Suggestion: operatin of Theoretical

Methodological Centre

Concerned:Tartomány

Fürdő

Klaszter

Recommendation - Social insurance

• At spas with certified thermal water hospitals were built, and the only visitors are ill people with medical referral.

• Contact with other countries’ social insurance system.

Concerned:Kormányzat

Tartomány

Recommendation - ownership

Ownership arrangement:• Unresolved ownership.• 90% of Hungarian spas are ownered by self

governments.• Petroland Aquapark in Serbia is in private ownership,

and other medical spas are in state ownership• Most of state-owned companies are lossy in Serbia (e.g.

medical spas)

Concerned:

Kormányzat

Önkormányzat

Recommendation – Development documents

• Mirror effect

• Integration of development documents on different levels (settlement,county, region, country, EU)

concerned: EU

Kormányzat

Tartomány

Önkormányzatok

Recommendation - sources

It's only possible with outside resources (investors from regional, governmental, and EU levels)Financial and political risk! learninglobbyingincreasing project knowledgesource and interest concentrationConcerned groups: EU, government, regions, investors

concerned : EU

government

regions

investors

Recommendation - Sustainability

Ecology

environmental impact thermal water noise rubbish traffic

• wellness footprint

Economy

energy costs

wages

incomes from entrance tickets

supports

concerned : council

bath

investors

Recommendation - Space connections of developments I.

Development scenarios according development policy• voluntarist - result • liberal - capital • network-based - supply • value-based - service

Basically we consider project CC as a learning process so we would like a value-based development.

Recommendation - Space connections of

developments II.• 4 types according tourism: local, sub regional, regional, macro-regional

• No difference in quality between these 4 levels, so networking is necessary

„On every levels, is almost everything” Ø

Hungary:– expansion of medical services– health resort certification (Kiskunmajsa and Mórahalom)

Serbian:– increasin the surface of water– komplex spa reconstruction– immediate reconstruction of hospitals

• creation of new spas: (only in Vojvodina: along river Tisza, in Bezdán-Apatin-Zombor triangle)

Recommendation – Speed of developments

• fast but without antecedent, green field (Bački Petrovac, Zalánkemén)

• fast but deficient, wothout hotel (Makó)• fast and complete, but lack of human development!

(Szeged Aquapolis)• step by step (Mórahalom)• hopefuls (Apatin, Óbecse)• dreamers (Ada)

• the most narrow segment: HUMAN CAPACITY

Recommendation - natural waters

• protection of water culture in river Tisza, Danube and other smaller rivers

• at creation of touristical products, connect natural waters with wellness programmes

• it could be the special brand of Cooling Cubes project

Recommendation – The guests

target group? risk of specialisation – cooperation

medical, wellness, sport

aim: conscious bath users!

3.333.333 residents 3.333.333 visitors

– transit 5.000.000 transit passenger

tunel effect

E 75 highway

Recommendation - Networks

• coopreation of spa-clusters in two regions

• creation of TDM organisation

• creation of user networks create a group of residents using the spa (facebook, teams, groups, clubs)

• establish Cooling Cubes Committee

Recommendation – Collective knowledge

• migration loss of South Great Plain and Vojvodina

• keep contact with migrants to collect their knowledge

• they have different approach, different views and attitude

• they could be the guests and investors in the future

• Re-Turn project Szegedi Tudományegyetem • Voice of the Village project –

Kistérségek Fejlesztéséért Tudományos Egyesület

Recommendation – Research and Development

• creation and operation a Theoretical Methodological Center

• researches in balneology and tourism

• methodological recommendations based on University of Novi Sad and University of Szeged

Recommendation – Civil relationships

• civil groups who evolve the cult of the spa

• who make suggestions for type of operation

• who make cultural and touristical suggestions

• who participate in work of CC committe

Village + team

Recommendation – Common idea

• establishing of CC brand

• more conscious spa-users

• measurable health-indicators

• residents of CC region can understand the importance of local waters

Recommendation - Marketing-brand

lack of time• creation of (partly existing) feeling, no

problem if one or two elements are not world-class

• giving a cool and optimistic feeling, where the emerging problem can solved with smile

• the most effective marketing is a film series – Surda

Recommendation - Education

• Practical Methodology Centre

• education of specialists and quality-control of educational process e.g. Mórahalom

Recommendation - European Union

• It’s important to know the working and development-logic of EU, very well

• source map

• cooperation = lobby

Recommendation - Time

fashion is present in development policy, in investor’s mind, and also in behaviour of people

Tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in illis

Final Word

Together with project members I would like to say thank you for all participants, who helped us

in the common development of Vojvodina and South Grat Plain in Cooling Cubes Project.

With ideas, information, organization, project management, questionnaire analysis, presentation,

reports, translation, interpreting, and with good words.

Have a good splash to everyone!

Thank you for the kind attention!

Have a good discussion!

schw.j@t-online.hu