1. Certified excellence
The first international seal of approval for the standardised
assessment of European spas and health resorts
www.europespa.eu Awarded by the
European Spas Association

2. EUROPESPA med –
the European yardstick of quality
Health tourism in Europe is booming. More than 3.000 At the heart of the initiative is the EUROPESPA med
businesses operating in the areas of prevention, reha- seal of approval. This hallmark is based on an innovative,
bilitation and medical wellness are currently competing integrated principle of assessment which in addition to
for health tourists and patients. judging the quality of the medical and tourist services
provided also takes into account the infrastructure used
Every European state is profiting from the increasing ‘from spring to bathtub’ as well as environmental protec-
internationalisation taking place in the healthcare sec- tion and food safety. This approach ensures that all spas
tor. High-quality spas and health resorts are now to be and health resorts throughout Europe can be evaluated
found in almost every region. They include clinics spe- in a standardised fashion.
cialising in certain ailments and hotels aimed at certain
target groups. The extensive audit has been compiled by a team of
acclaimed international experts and consists of about
Yet until now, there has hardly been any way for excep- 400 questions based on national and international
tional establishments to communicate their high quality legislation.
throughout Europe to those seeking superior estab-
lishments. They include the large numbers of patients
willing to pay privately for treatment as well as several
well-known tour operators. In addition, health insurance
companies are increasingly on the look-out for reliable
domestic and foreign providers of spa treatment.
Sadly, it has previously been very difficult for top spas to
set themselves apart on the international market from
cheaper competitors with lower standards. Consequently,
the cheap resorts have often benefited from the lack of
transparency, choosing to advertise with barely compre-
hensible services, meaningless seals of approval and
confusing information about their standards of quality.
A pioneering idea
Genuine proof of quality requires a comparable yard-
stick. Up to now, however, the standards of quality
applied in the healthcare sector in European states have
differed enormously – especially regarding infrastruc-
ture, hygiene and safety. This is where the European
Spas Association steps in – with the EUROPESPA med
quality initiative, which enables sophisticated spas and
health resorts to clearly align themselves at the upper
end of the market.

4. The EUROPESPA med seal
of approval – proof of quality
Going through the challenging EUROPESPA med audit against uniform quality criteria. Operators can hence
certainly pays – for all spas and health resorts that meet see how they rate compared to their competition
EUROPESPA med’s high standards are awarded the at home and abroad – and where there’s room for
EUROPESPA med seal of approval. This certificate dem- improvement.
onstrates the holder’s superior quality, equally benefiting
both the spa and its guests. What’s more, the European For the first time, institutions from the new member
Spas Association regularly sends the leading European states of the EU in particular can bring themselves
health insurance companies a list of all EUROPESPA up to scratch and ready themselves for the European
med certified resorts. market. To raise their standards of quality, test audits
are carried out, allowing specific areas ripe for
Your competitive advantages: more guests! improvement to be highlighted.
For the first time, a level playing field has been intro- Your advantages in communication:
duced, enabling standards of quality to be compared international attention!
across Europe. Moreover, www.europespa.eu provides
you with a platform where you can be noticed by very EUROPESPA med certified spas and health resorts set
attractive target groups. It can also be used to make themselves apart from the competition in travel bro-
useful new contacts and exploit new synergy effects. chures and adverts at first glance:
For the first time, your guests have a reliable aid to The EUROPESPA med seal of approval is an
decision-making when choosing the right spa or eye-catcher that helps boost sales.
resort for them. And EUROPESPA med certified
operations can reach one of the biggest and strongest The EUROPESPA med seal of approval
markets in the world: Europe! communicates a clear statement of quality.
For the very time, European spas and health resorts The EUROPESPA med seal of approval
from Portugal to Finland can be holistically assessed symbolises international standards.
The EUROPESPA med seal of quality –
benefits at a glance
Marketing Quality
Eye-catching seal of approval Comprehensive quality testing
symbolises international quality by recognised experts
Europe's leading health insurance Detailed report shows all
companies regularly receive a list of room for improvement
certified spas and health resorts
Communication support from Regular quality-monitoring
prestigious tour operators every 18 months
Sales-boosting presentation on Anonymised league tables reveal
www.europespa.eu – the international quality how you stand compared to the
portal of the European Spas Association competition at home and abroad

7. Highly recommended by experts
Partner of health insurance companies welcomes this approach because certification takes into
account the main criteria,” explains Thomas Schlicht,
The EUROPESPA med concept helps high-quality estab- head of the Department of Prevention and Rehabilitation
lishments to be identified all over Europe. This benefit at Techniker Krankenkasse.
has already been picked up by several health insurance
companies and has enabled them to efficiently and ef- Popular among tour operators
fortlessly compare the quality of their partner spas and
resorts in advance. The EUROPESPA med quality initiative is welcomed by
tourism company TUI. “What was lacking in Europe un-
The first health insurance schemed to support the til recently was a uniform, international seal of approval
EUROPESPA med concept was TAUNUS BKK, which for spas and wellness centres. The EUROPESPA med
insures nearly a million people. “When receiving spa quality initiative fills this gap by providing more trans-
treatment, our customers need to feel they are in the best parency in competition. This benefits our customers, our
hands and are receiving excellent care. That’s why we partners and ultimately us, too,” states Mehdi Langanke,
attach so much importance to the new EUROPESPA head of product management at TUI Vital.
med seal of approval,” declares Udo Sennlaub, CEO
of TAUNUS BKK. Claudia Wagner, managing director of FIT REISEN,
agrees: “We welcome the fact that EUROPESPA med
Techniker Krankenkasse (which insures over 6 million means greater transparency in spas and wellness resorts.
customers) also supports the EUROPESPA med con- Uniform criteria of quality are very desirable on the
cept. “Successful therapy relies on good quality. For this international market for spa and wellness treatment.
purpose, it’s vital that high standards are met in terms The EUROPESPA med seal of approval offers a first-class
of safety, hygiene maintenance and staff training. form of certification. Above all, our guests attach high
EUROPESPA med attests that the holder complies with importance to the services received when staying at a
internationally uniform standards, especially regarding spa or health resort.”
quality and safety management. Techniker Krankenkasse

8. Keeping tabs on quality –
the areas covered by EUROPESPA med
Regardless of whether you run a centre of medical prevention or rehabilitation, or operate in the medical
wellness sector, anyone wishing to be awarded the EUROPESPA med seal of quality must meet the high
standards of the European Spas Association. The following list indicates all the areas in which you can
have your establishment examined.

9. Management system and conformity Procurement and provision of remedies
a) General requirements for proper spa operation a) Protection of medicinal springs and peloids
Quality of medical procedures and structure Conservation of nature and resources
Treatment plan Springs
Preventive measures
Final examination, medical report, letter from b) Production, treatment and storage of
the spa doctor remedies (peloids, healing water)
Analysis of natural local remedies (e.g. healing Storage, processing and transport
water, peloids, climate) Hygiene
Balneological report Treatment, reuse
Bathing water treatment
b) General conformity with local regulations regarding Environmental protection, safety management
natural local remedies and environmental protection
Official approval for the extraction of natural Therapies, treatment, swimming pools, wellness
remedies (healing water, peloids, etc) a) Medical sector
Drinking water quality Patient management, patient files
Sewage and waste disposal Medical rooms
Drug management
c) Therapeutically relevant structure and organisation Emergency infrastructure and management
Qualifications of doctors, therapists and
other medical personnel b) Treatment and rest areas
Standards of spa-related and general healthcare Hygiene management
provided by doctors and pharmacies General suitability of premises and
Quality and safety management executive technical infrastructure
d) General quality and safety management c) Bathing and sauna areas
Treatment measures Safety management
Quality assurance in relevant Bathing standards
medicinal procedures Cleaning and disinfection in and around baths
Data protection/confidentiality Safety and hygiene in saunas, Turkish and
Hygiene plans, measures to steam baths, as well as other wellness areas
prevent pathogens and changing rooms
Disaster protection plans
Safety facilities (fire protection, infection Accommodation
prevention, accident prevention, etc) a) Accommodation and hotel infrastructure
Standards of rooms, sanitary facilities and
e) Quality and safety management (spa-specific aspects) public areas: hygiene, patient safety, other
Analyses of healing water and peloids spa-specific aspects
including scope Safety and hygiene regulations
Documentation of cure analyses
Quality assurance for external procurement Catering standards
of remedies and raw materials b) Cuisine
Risk analysis for medical products Kitchen hygiene, HACCP
Cleaning and disinfection measures in Range of meals
connection with remedies Catering outlets
f) Analytical quality control
Data management
Regular analyses of pump rooms, baths,
inhalations and mud applications
Measures to check for and prevent the
outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease
Surface hygiene

10. Welcome to www.europespa.eu –
the new quality portal of the
European Spas Association
To enable you to successfully position yourself on the
internet as a EUROPESPA med certified establishment,
the European Spas Association has created a brand
new online platform: europespa.eu. Your certified spa
or wellness resort will be professionally presented in
this unique, well-designed quality portal to a large,
international target group. Extensive search operations
including medical indications enable users to directly
find your institution. Furthermore, you will also enjoy
access to a wide range of services on europespa.eu
from which you can profit as a member of the partner
programme.
Don’t delay – visit us today at www.europespa.eu!
Your recipe for success: Benefits of the EUROPESPA med portal at a glance
a partnership with a powerful future
More bookings: presentation of your special services
As a EUROPESPA med partner, you stand to benefit and offers on a stylish website
from a whole host of one-stop services. For example,
More success: high click rates from international
the efficient partner programme offers a choice of three target groups
different ways in which your establishment and services
can be successfully positioned at extremely low rates. More fame: professional presentation of your
establishment on the European Spas Association’s
Moreover, you can also take advantage of a wide range international spa portal
of specially tailored services.
More support: efficient partner programme with
plenty of services geared to your individual needs
Special services at www.europespa.eu
Image film service –
Benefit in three ways: from the biggest association of
from planning to production European spas, from an outstanding seal of approval,
and from a high-traffic internet portal!
Merchandising shop – free gifts and
exterior promotional items for hotels
Advertising agency services – traditional
advertising and sales promotion
Human resources assistance – recruitment,
staff-training, language courses
Take advantage of these new options – and decide
which partner model is the right one for you. For more
information on the partner programme, log on to
www.europespa.eu.

11. Certified excellence

12. Get certified!
Request registration forms from the European Spas Association
Return the completed forms to ESPA for processing
This will be followed by an inspection of your establishment by
an auditor lasting about two days.
The auditor will draft a report – and once the audit has been
passed, the EUROPESPA med certificate will be awarded.
A brief follow-up audit will be carried out 18 months later.
Ask for your registration forms now – and
if you’ve any queries, don’t hesitate to ask!
Contact:
Reinhard Petry
European Spas Association (ESPA)
AETC Secrétariat Général
1, avenue de la Renaissance
B 1000 Bruxelles
Tel: 00 32 (2) 7 33 26 61
Fax: 00 32 (2) 7 33 06 19
Mobile: 00 49 (0) 17 26 13 30 06
petry@espa-ehv.eu info@europespa.eu
www.europespa.eu
www.europespa.eu European Spas Association