Nowe (?) trendy w turystyce zdrowotnej

The 1963 UN conference on ''Journeys and Tourism" defined the notion of tourism, and "health" was regarded as one of its crucial motives. It has to be admitted that the majority of people who embark on travels for tourist purposes, do so on the assumption of both mental and physical relaxation, although it may not be an active relaxation in all cases. Therefore, we can assume that health factors are present in nearly all types of tourist travel. It is difficult to imagine a tourist who assumes he or she will not rest or relax. At the same time, there are many possible ways of relaxation and restoring strength, the choice of which depends on the individual needs of tourists. It can be assumed therefore that the health motive will be present in the case of recreational tourism, but also in special interest, religious, pilgrimage, ecological or cultural tourism. Visiting spas certainly belongs to traditional forms of health tourism. It is developing in areas with outstanding landscape assets, where natural curative factors occur in conjunction with favourable bioclimatic conditions. New forms of health tourism can be divided into two categories: (1) journeys focusing on the body and relaxation (pampering), and (2) journeys focusing on the soul and a sense of wellness (well-being). Travels to clinics and hospitals represent a special form of health tourism. The reasons for such therapeutic travels can extremely vary. Another form of health-related tourism, consistent with the broad definition of health tourism, is the so-called sex tourism. The sexual revolution of the second half of the 20th, century brought about a greater openness in the attitude to sex. Along with increasing popularity of psychoanalysis as a way to deal with stress, more and more afflicting the residents of highly developed countries, sex therapy has appeared. Many therapists recommend erotic holidays to their clients as an antidote for the exhausting monotony of their work routines. Unfortunately, health travels may pose risks to health, both in relation to tourists and to hosts. In the holiday atmosphere, tourists may easily forget about health protection habits; they abuse alcohol and drugs or change their sexual behaviour. In this way, they become susceptible to many more or less serious diseases. Diseases of the digestive system and sexually transmitted diseases (particularly AIDS) are genuine risks that such holidaymakers take, especially in the case of travels to exotic destinations. Also, contagious and parasitic diseases that for many have not been observed in the tourists' home countries and that can still occur in the countries visited by tourists, pose a serious threat.