GreenSPAS at the Thermal Tourism Congress in Budapest
The 2025 edition of the International Thermal Tourism Congress took place in Budapest, gathering over 30 speakers and participants from more than 22 countries. Hosted at the Ensana Thermal Margaret Island Health Spa Hotel, the event offered three days of intense dialogue on the future of thermal destinations, with sessions dedicated to heritage, health innovation, tourism strategies and sustainability.
GreenSPAS was proud to participate in the programme and contribute to one of its most anticipated discussions: the Sustainability Forum, held on 6 June, from 14:15 to 15:00.
The session, titled
"Tired of TALKING? What has really been done? Transitions – Thermal destinations moving to action and innovation", challenged participants to go beyond declarations and showcase real-world progress in sustainable transformation.
GreenSPAS takes the floor
Representing the GreenSPAS partnership were:
- Marion Roussel, from La Route des Villes d’Eaux du Massif Central (France), lead partner of the project;
- Edvardas Citvaras, from the Municipality of Birštonas (Lithuania), one of the project partners.
Their joint presentation highlighted how GreenSPAS is supporting spa towns across Europe to move from ambition to action. Through interregional exchange, policy learning and capacity building, the project is helping public authorities shape greener, more resilient and more inclusive thermal territories.
Rather than speaking in general terms, the session focused on practical steps being taken at the local and regional level. GreenSPAS was presented as a concrete example of how European cooperation can support the transformation of thermal destinations into sustainability leaders.
Building bridges
Joining the panel was also Victor Leal, representing Termas de São Pedro do Sul and the Interreg Sudoe project ThermeEcoWat, which GreenSPAS considers a valuable partner in this journey.
ThermeEcoWat brings a strong focus on sustainable water governance and innovation in spa operations, reinforcing the environmental dimension of the transition we are all working towards. The alignment between both projects made clear that collaboration across programmes and regions is essential to achieving lasting impact.
Looking ahead
The message from Budapest was clear: thermal destinations must become part of Europe’s green transition, not tomorrow, but today.
GreenSPAS leaves the Congress more committed than ever to that goal. By continuing to support policy change, share knowledge and connect local initiatives, the project will keep working to ensure that Europe’s spa towns are not only places of healing, but models of sustainability and innovation.