Wody geotermalne jako czynnik rozwoju turystyki w regionie Podhalańskim

Geothermal waters are an important natural resource. Even though their beneficial properties were discovered thousands of years ago, they became widely used only after WWII. Geothermal waters might be used for a variety of applications. In the area of tourism, they have been more and more popular due to their therapeutic properties. Thermal waters allow treatment of rheumatism and civilization illnesses. The variety of curative properties of the waters facilitates the development of tourism for health and recreation purposes. Thermal waters are available through: spas, spa hotels and wellness centers, aqua parks, thermal pools. The Podhale region possesses extensive deposits of thermal waters. Nonetheless, they have become a part of the tourist offer only in the past few years. Financed by private investors, six attractive complexes emerged which offer a wide range of biological renewal services. The complexes, namely: Antałówka, Polana Szymoszkowa, Bukowina Tatrzańska, Białka Tatrzańska, Szaflary and Chochołów stimulated the development of tourism in the region and generated new jobs. This is very important since tourism has become the main source of revenue for the local population.