Under the sign of water - first International Meeting of Health and Well-being Tourism - AQUAMEETING – that will take place in the Customhouse Building, in Oporto, on 19, 20 and 21.September 2008.

Contribute to position Portugal as a privileged destination of well-being is one of the principal aims of the first International Meeting of Health and Well-being Tourism - AQUAMEETING – that will take place in the Customhouse Building, in Oporto, on 19, 20 and 21.September 2008.

After a market analysis the AQUA meeting Office noted the importance of set down an event that projects tourism, health and well-being not as a fashion but as a trend. Furthermore, among the ten strategic products that the National Strategic Plan of Tourism (PENT) elects to consolidate and to develop, is the Health and Well-being and, also therefore, the Porto Customhouse Building Congress Centre understood to call for some partners to organize this event which wants to be a meeting of continuity.

«The arguments to carry out this initiative are at sight», explains António Gouveia Santos, Porto Customhouse Building Congress Centre executive manager, sponsor of the initiative, adding that «Portugal has a long and important thermal history to promote, and the majority of Portuguese thermal waters are in the centre and north of the country, on the other hand, there is an educational perspective that aims to discuss ideas, clarify concepts, discover new projects».

The initiative has the institutional support of Turismo de Portugal (Portugal Tourism Office) that «in face of initiative merit, express interest in cooperating in the event divulgation, as well as to participate in the topics under discussion ', and with the support of the Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Norte (Northern Regional Commission for Coordination and Development), with Adturn, Turismo Norte de Portugal (North of Portugal Tourism Office), Porto Convention & Visitors Bureau, and with the Associação das Termas de Portugal (Portugal Thermal Waters Association).

Parallel to the event, it will happens an international seminar which will deal with various topics related to health and well-being tourism and, further, some workshops subject to nutrition, thermal heritage and communication.
This meeting looks for, first of all, to organize an excellent exhibition of thermal waters, hotels with SPA and thalassic, highlighting the offer of excellence that Portugal has in this sector. The SPAS of Lágrimas Group and the SPAS of Real Hotels, Penafiel Park Hotel, Água Hotels Mondim de Basto,  the thermal waters of Chaves, S. Jorge, Caldelas, S. Pedro do Sul and the Direcções Regionais de Turismo dos Açores e da Madeira (Azores and Madeira Regional Tourism Offices), among others, already mark their presence in this space. Different Galicia companies already marked presence, such as Asetra Balnearios, and Turgalicia with more than 50m2. They are running out contacts with the France Embassy, for French companies to be present to.

The Customhouse building will be divided into different areas: the aqua felling, where visitor can have access to different experiences; the aqua meaning, dedicated to show off some thermal collection, photographic exhibitions, new projects models; the aqua playing, a space devoted to child thermals’ and to children activities; the aqua fashion, dedicated to an initiative within the fashion; the aqua drinking, a waters bar of and other initiatives undertaken by the Confraria da Água (Water Confraternity); the aqua reading, an area of reading and debate; and the Aqua party, a party dedicated to celebrate the water benefits and to move up consciousness to this vital resource, in a view to sustainable development.

«Besides the professional component, because we are organising, in partnership with organizations, a visit of strategic markets buyers, including Spain, France, Germany and England, this meeting is, still, addressed to the final consumer, eager for a quality offer, for which is being created a Well-being Passport, offered at the entry, to each visitor, and that can be used for a year», explains António Gouveia Santos. «The idea is not only to create a homogeneous and pleasant space, but also to provide to the visitor - and this is the key – an unique and innovative experiences», adds Gouveia Santos.

During the days 19, 20 and 21 September, Oporto Customhouse Building will be a Health and Well-being destination where will take place many initiatives aimed to the sector professionals but also to the Public in general that will can find in this space the well-being vacations that always dreamed and, of course, to enjoy an experience. Everything under the sign of water.