The Dead Sea is one of the world’s most famous mineral sources / Photo: Shutterstock/Hrecheniuk Oleksii
The Dead Sea is in trouble, its waters are shrinking by almost 4 feet every year and dangerous sinkholes are forming on its shores, explained local geologist Eli Raz during the recently-held Global Thermal Think Tank (G3T) in Israel.
The warning was a wake-up call for G3T attendees, a group of 24 international hot springs professionals and enthusiasts who took part in the three-day tour of thermal waters and historic sights in the country.
“It reminds us how important it is to be aware of environmental impacts on our source waters,” says participant Vicky Nash, executive director of the US-based Hot Springs Association. “The implementation of preservation and conservation plans is critical to protecting these natural resources.”
The annual G3T is an invitation-only event which precedes the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) and dives into the culture and practices of hot springs near where it’s held – with the latest event taking place in Tel Aviv. It got its start in 2016 in Bad Orb, Germany, in advance of the GWS in Kitzbühel, Austria.
This time, attendees visited the Ein Gedi oasis, had outdoor massages with views of the Dead Sea at Synergy Spa, floated and painted each other with mud at the Dead Sea, visited historical hot springs sites in Tiberias, soaked in the waters at Hamat Gader hot springs near the border of Syria and Jordan and swam in the Sea of Galilee.
Along the way, we stayed at a Bedouin tent camp, rode camels in the desert and hiked to the ancient fortress at Masada at sunrise, taking in the Roman bathhouse there.
Throughout the trip, we explored the way music and hot springs naturally go together – first with an incredible fireside performance from local musicians and later with serenades from Marty Williams the arts, culture and entertainment director at Peninsula Hot Springs in Australia.
Overall, G3T provided the opportunity for hot springs professionals from around the world to meet and discuss how they can collectively evolve and grow as a wellness sector.
“The goal is to find ways to learn from each other to develop international understanding and create hot springs-centred wellness communities,” says Charles Davidson, chair and founder of Peninsula Hot Springs, who organises the event each year.
Attendee Mark Hennebry, chair of Europe-based Ensana Health Spas concludes: “Once again, the G3T programme brought together key industry leaders. The combination of informal conversations, education on mineral springs in Israel and music around campfires in the desert delivered deep and meaningful connections that resonate long after the event.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2023 issue 1
Write to reply: Letters
Zulal's Sandie Johannessen shares her passion for medical wellness and Kloodos' Julie Cichocki says wellness protocols should start with the vagus nerve
Spa People: Leekyung Han
The South Korean-born spa consultant on why her home country should be on the radar of all wellness developers
Sponsored: Art of Cryo: Working well
Spa operators and corporate offices can now offer a comprehensive, six-part wellness journey designed by Art of Cryo to elevate health
Research: Wellness Travel Consumer Survey
A general reboot and nature/outdoor activities are key considerations for wellness tourists according to a new study by WTA. Anne Dimon reports
First person: Doctor’s orders
Can a partnership with an international hospital elevate a wellness retreat? Neena Dhillon visits RAKxa in Bangkok, Thailand to find out
Interview: Justin Musgrove
We talk to the CEO of Core Life, the exclusive lifestyle brand which has ambitions to expand to the world's most affluent cities
Sponsored: Starpool: Zerobody Cryo
The new Zerobody Cryo will deliver comfortable cold therapy for spa, wellness and sports says Starpool CEO, Riccardo Turri
The Dead Sea is one of the world’s most famous mineral sources / Photo: Shutterstock/Hrecheniuk Oleksii
The Dead Sea is in trouble, its waters are shrinking by almost 4 feet every year and dangerous sinkholes are forming on its shores, explained local geologist Eli Raz during the recently-held Global Thermal Think Tank (G3T) in Israel.
The warning was a wake-up call for G3T attendees, a group of 24 international hot springs professionals and enthusiasts who took part in the three-day tour of thermal waters and historic sights in the country.
“It reminds us how important it is to be aware of environmental impacts on our source waters,” says participant Vicky Nash, executive director of the US-based Hot Springs Association. “The implementation of preservation and conservation plans is critical to protecting these natural resources.”
The annual G3T is an invitation-only event which precedes the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) and dives into the culture and practices of hot springs near where it’s held – with the latest event taking place in Tel Aviv. It got its start in 2016 in Bad Orb, Germany, in advance of the GWS in Kitzbühel, Austria.
This time, attendees visited the Ein Gedi oasis, had outdoor massages with views of the Dead Sea at Synergy Spa, floated and painted each other with mud at the Dead Sea, visited historical hot springs sites in Tiberias, soaked in the waters at Hamat Gader hot springs near the border of Syria and Jordan and swam in the Sea of Galilee.
Along the way, we stayed at a Bedouin tent camp, rode camels in the desert and hiked to the ancient fortress at Masada at sunrise, taking in the Roman bathhouse there.
Throughout the trip, we explored the way music and hot springs naturally go together – first with an incredible fireside performance from local musicians and later with serenades from Marty Williams the arts, culture and entertainment director at Peninsula Hot Springs in Australia.
Overall, G3T provided the opportunity for hot springs professionals from around the world to meet and discuss how they can collectively evolve and grow as a wellness sector.
“The goal is to find ways to learn from each other to develop international understanding and create hot springs-centred wellness communities,” says Charles Davidson, chair and founder of Peninsula Hot Springs, who organises the event each year.
Attendee Mark Hennebry, chair of Europe-based Ensana Health Spas concludes: “Once again, the G3T programme brought together key industry leaders. The combination of informal conversations, education on mineral springs in Israel and music around campfires in the desert delivered deep and meaningful connections that resonate long after the event.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2023 issue 1
Write to reply: Letters
Zulal's Sandie Johannessen shares her passion for medical wellness and Kloodos' Julie Cichocki says wellness protocols should start with the vagus nerve
Spa People: Leekyung Han
The South Korean-born spa consultant on why her home country should be on the radar of all wellness developers
Sponsored: Art of Cryo: Working well
Spa operators and corporate offices can now offer a comprehensive, six-part wellness journey designed by Art of Cryo to elevate health
Research: Wellness Travel Consumer Survey
A general reboot and nature/outdoor activities are key considerations for wellness tourists according to a new study by WTA. Anne Dimon reports
First person: Doctor’s orders
Can a partnership with an international hospital elevate a wellness retreat? Neena Dhillon visits RAKxa in Bangkok, Thailand to find out
Interview: Justin Musgrove
We talk to the CEO of Core Life, the exclusive lifestyle brand which has ambitions to expand to the world's most affluent cities
Sponsored: Starpool: Zerobody Cryo
The new Zerobody Cryo will deliver comfortable cold therapy for spa, wellness and sports says Starpool CEO, Riccardo Turri
London Museum will open four new food and drink destinations when it launches its new home
at Smithfield on 28 November, making hospitality a central part of the visitor experience at one
of the capital's biggest cultural openings of the year.
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger
cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance,
hospitality and public programming.
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
