As Christmas approached, it was a great pleasure for us to celebrate such an important anniversary! We thank all our guests for having honoured us with their presence, and the guests of the spa for having chosen us for 53 years, and for 40 years as a spa. The discovery of thermal water in the spa town in 1962 led to the opening of our facility in 1965. We were awarded the thermal water certificate in 1971, and Zalakaros became a spa and a health resort in 1978. The water of Zalakaros is a national treasure, known throughout Europe for its healing properties.
Rózsa Sifter, Zala County Government Commissioner, stressed that the water of Zalakaros is a national treasure, which is known throughout Europe for its healing properties. She recalled that in 1978, the then Ministry of Health officially classified the water and the settlement as a spa, which has since become a popular holiday destination for families and people of all ages.She pointed out that thanks to the spa, the unemployment rate in the settlement has been typically low, with only 3.1 percent of the working age population currently unemployed in Zalakaros.
Ferenc Novák, the mayor of the village, described the stages of the development of the village, saying that the thermal water was discovered in 1962, and the spa was opened in 1965. The thermal water was certified in 1971, and in 1978 the settlement was classified as a spa and health resort. Zalakaros' role as a health resort and its visitor numbers are to be further strengthened, with a HUF 1.6 billion investment to build a visitor centre, an events area and a promenade, among other things," the mayor said.
László Attila Boros, President of the Hungarian Bathing Association, also spoke at the event held on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Zalakaros being declared a spa and the spa a health resort, that the conditions for the certification mark of Hungarian spas will be completely changed in 2019. In partnership with the Hungarian Tourism Agency, the current system, which is mainly based on quantitative criteria, will be replaced by a new system of criteria based on quality.The president of the Baths Association also added that the organisation plans to launch an energy modernisation programme based on sustainable development next year with government support. After the development of Hungarian baths in recent decades, there is a need for modernisation based on renewable energy sources in order to ensure sustainability.
László Cziráki, CEO of the Zalakaros Spa, said that the seven-year development strategy of the facility was recently approved. The complex, which is expected to welcome more than 650,000 guests this year, is expected to be ready by next summer, with a 5 percent increase in visitor numbers compared to last year, and the spa centre and garden, which is currently under renovation. The construction of a new sauna park will start in February and will be completed by the end of the year with a HUF 100 million state grant, and a similar amount of funding will also help renovate the 3-star spa hotel.According to the plans, a new 5-star camping site will be built in 2020, which will be open all year round, and the first adventure spa in the country, opened in 1999, will be expanded.
