Pomeranian Health Guide is now available

"Health tourism in the Pomeranian Voivodeship is a desirable and forward-looking direction of development. The Proturmed Foundation has issued the Pomeranian Health Information Booklet, which aims to create the region as a health tourism destination by increasing accessibility to the region's pro-health offer. It can be downloaded here.

The opportunities for the development of health tourism are connected with the most significant challenges related to our functioning in the near future, namely the aging population and climate change. By 2060, the number of people aged 85 and over, compared to 2022, will increase by 83% in the so-called low scenario, or nearly triple in the high scenario. Climate change is already causing tourists to increasingly seek cooler places for their holiday rest. The growing awareness of people's impact on their own health is causing our decisions regarding the choice of holiday destinations to be increasingly dictated by health motivations.

"The Pomeranian Voivodeship has unique qualities for the development of health tourism. These include geographical, natural, and cultural conditions, primarily the coastal location, diverse natural and landscape values, and brine water resources. In addition, the region has exceptional air quality – in almost all controlled parameters, the highest air quality class has been recorded in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. A characteristic feature of coastal air is the presence of fine droplets of seawater, most prevalent within 300 meters of the coastal zone. Coastal air contains significantly fewer pollutants, including allergens, than inland air. The voivodeship is home to many protected areas, among which two national parks are particularly noteworthy. An extremely valuable pro-health environmental resource is the forests, and the Pomeranian Voivodeship ranks third in the country in terms of forest cover. This creates opportunities for the increasingly popular 'forest bathing,' which is often cited for its health benefits. The sandy beaches of Pomerania also have health benefits and are ideal for walks. Bathing in the Baltic Sea constitutes a hydrotherapy treatment, classified as a cold treatment with maximum stimulus strength. A specific resource of the region is Baltic amber, which is natural fossil resin. It is attributed to numerous health properties, although there is a lack of scientific research confirming its effectiveness. There is growing interest in obtaining this raw material, particularly its harvesting.

"The chances for the development of health tourism in the region are also influenced by the availability of information about pro-health offers. This need was fulfilled by the Proturmed Foundation, which developed the Pomeranian Health Information Booklet. The implementation of this task is part of creating the Pomeranian Voivodeship as a destination for health tourism and a safe place for people in need of medical support.

Pomeranian Health Guide The (PHG) also aims to promote parks as places that are not typical tourist attractions, but due to their pro-health benefits are advantageous for tourists and residents. The PHG compiles information on urban parks as healthy spaces in the city, data on adapting spaces to the needs of people with health challenges, as well as information on the region's health offer, including phone numbers useful in case of urgent need for medical assistance. Thus, this document is a collection of information on various aspects related to the pro-health offer of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, among which we can find:

– a description of urban parks in terms of their equipment, afforestation, additional attractions, pro-health infrastructure, and other elements affecting their attractiveness. The top 25 parks are described in terms of their pro-health character based on specific criteria.

– The 20 most frequently visited attractions in the Pomeranian Voivodeship (in 2023) in terms of their degree of accessibility for people with special health needs. Information about the amenities found on the websites of the facilities was used. The condition of some of these amenities was verified through local inspection.

– The offer of accommodation facilities providing health and medical services. These services are provided by entities with different specializations, which belong to either tourist or medical facilities.

– important information about the possibility of accessing healthcare in an emergency situation. This does not only concern emergency rooms but also 24-hour pharmacies or places where you can seek urgent help for pets.

The author: dr Anna Białk-Wolf