Pontevedra takes a leaf out of Bath's book for promoting spa tourism
Friday, October 24, 2014 @ 7:02 PM
PROVINCIAL authorities in the north-western province of Pontevedra are taking the UK city of Bath, Somerset as its inspiration for attracting tourists - redeploying its Roman spas for modern-day relaxation treatment.
Mayoress of Bath, Cherry Beath is attending a world conference for towns and cities with Roman baths this week on the island of A Toxa, off the coast of Pontevedra, Galicia and provincial council leader of the latter, Rafael Louzán is hoping to pick her brains.
The west of England city sees more than four million tourists a year thanks to the baths after which it is named - quite a feat for a municipality of just 83,000 inhabitants which does not have beaches or great weather like those of the same size on the Spanish coasts which welcome roughly as many annual visitors.
And Pontevedra could go the same way if promoted properly, since the province has six towns with Roman baths - Caldas, Cuntis, O Grove, Mondariz, Tui, and Vila de Cruces - as well as nine 'active' spas based in the baths themselves, 11 spas in hotels, seven thermal baths in rural hotels and four in town centres.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com