RECREATIONAL WATER RESOURCES: DYNAMICS AT THE MARKET OF SPA SERVICES IN THE SOUTHERN COAST OF THE CRIMEA

Abstract

The article deals with various aspects of the SPA services market development in the territory of the
southern coast of the Crimea. The analysis of organizations and hotels providing corresponding services is
conducted. The complex of outputs and services in sphere of SPA procedures and realization of the healthimproving
programs with the use of recreational water resources, available in the Republic of Crimea, is considered.
According to the classification of the European Center for study and propaganda of resorts and water
sources of ISPA Europe there are: complex SPA, medical SPA, SPA mineral waters, SPA hotels, SPA clubs, a
one-day course of SPA (DAYSPA), SPA cruises. The basis of mastering recreational water resources is sanatoriums,
holiday and recreation centers, boarding houses, and camps, to which beaches belong. Among natural
mineral waters of the Crimean peninsula three balneological groups such as mineral waters without specific
components and properties, hydrosulphuric or sulfide mineral waters, mineral waters with high content of
bromine, iodine and organic substances are distinguished. The basic types of beaches are: popular (for a fee
only additional service can be given); beaches with the limited access (for the stay of guests in collective facilities
of placing); partly accessible beaches. More than the fourth of seashores belongs to occupied or excluded
from the recreational purposes in connection with special functions of the coast (ports, moorages, industrial
zones, etc.). In spite of fairly large number of companies, which provide SPA services, however, the peninsula
was not positioned itself as a SPA resort. It’s suggested that for sanatoriums and specialized centers dealing
with curative and cosmetic services, it’s reasonable to extend the time frame of a season period for leisure in
the Crimea. For these aims it was planned to involve not only hotels. The study on the offer dynamics at the
market of SPA services, carried out by Crimean health-improving organizations enabled us to conclude that on
the basis of general data on health resorts (as compared to the most informing years – 2010 and 2014) we succeeded
in defining the percent of SPA companies among all resort institutions and it’s concluded that only
their amount, but also a ratio among other establishments are increased. Nowadays water resources potential
of the Republic of Crimea is used for development of recreational activity, mainly a local character. The part
of water resources is involved in the excursion sphere as places of interest, i.e. they are visited frequently.