The challenge of balanced regional development: health tourism in the Regional Unity of Fthiotida – a potential instrument of regional and intra-regional inequalities alleviation?

ABSTRACTThis paper intends to approach the challenging issue of facilitating policy making towards balanced regional development policy by highlighting the structural problems of long-lasting and deteriorating regional inequalities in Greece. On the other hand, since the Regional Unity of Fthiotida enjoys a considerable capacity in terms of natural resources and a high number of thermal springs, the development of alternative tourism forms (e.g. wellness, thermal, ecotourism, religious, agricultural, etc.) seems to be one of the instruments with which those development problems can be gradually alleviated and lead the way towards the regional economic improvement. The paper portrays the recent legislative developments undertaken at a domestic level. It also takes into consideration the current trends linked to the economic impact induced by the wellness industry worldwide. Thus, it aspires to provide aspects that may trigger substantial interest in part of the region’s overarching development advantages. These include, first and foremost, its natural capital in thermal springs. The current paper has been based on the available secondary official data and information drawn from targeted international and domestic institutional bodies, organisations, stakeholders, and the literature using relevant search key words.