The Potential of the Kaliningrad Region in the Development of Health Tourism

Abstract

The article studies the Kaliningrad Region from the perspective of health tourism development. The main purpose of the study is to explore the potential of the Kaliningrad region in the development of health tourism and its place in the Baltic sea region. In the course of the research, the recent publications on this issue were reviewed and the experience of both Russian and foreign researchers on the subject was analyzed; the cartographic method allowed to get clearer results, which are presented in the form of graphs and tables. The article considers natural and geographical preconditions for the development of health tourism in the Baltic sea region, analyzes resort facilities in the Kaliningrad region, shows the dynamics of attendance of the health resorts in the region from 2012 to 2016. The study shows the potential of each Kaliningrad municipality in the development of health and resort tourism. As a result of the study it was found out that the Kaliningrad region has a significant potential for the development of medical, health and health-related tourism in the Baltic sea region: a developed resort network, natural resources (mineral water, medicinal mud, etc.), advantageous geographical position, reasonable prices for resort and sanatorium-and-spa treatment). However, there is a need to expand the range of sanatorium-and-spa services of institutions in the Kaliningrad region to compete with similar institutions in the Baltic sea countries and neighboring Poland; also there is a need to improve the medical infrastructure and the level of medical care in the region, to expand the range of health and wellness services in the region.