The Dead Sea is one of the world’s most famous mineral sources / Photo: Shutterstock/Hrecheniuk Oleksii
The Dead Sea is in trouble, its waters are shrinking by almost 4 feet every year and dangerous sinkholes are forming on its shores, explained local geologist Eli Raz during the recently-held Global Thermal Think Tank (G3T) in Israel.
The warning was a wake-up call for G3T attendees, a group of 24 international hot springs professionals and enthusiasts who took part in the three-day tour of thermal waters and historic sights in the country.
“It reminds us how important it is to be aware of environmental impacts on our source waters,” says participant Vicky Nash, executive director of the US-based Hot Springs Association. “The implementation of preservation and conservation plans is critical to protecting these natural resources.”
The annual G3T is an invitation-only event which precedes the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) and dives into the culture and practices of hot springs near where it’s held – with the latest event taking place in Tel Aviv. It got its start in 2016 in Bad Orb, Germany, in advance of the GWS in Kitzbühel, Austria.
This time, attendees visited the Ein Gedi oasis, had outdoor massages with views of the Dead Sea at Synergy Spa, floated and painted each other with mud at the Dead Sea, visited historical hot springs sites in Tiberias, soaked in the waters at Hamat Gader hot springs near the border of Syria and Jordan and swam in the Sea of Galilee.
Along the way, we stayed at a Bedouin tent camp, rode camels in the desert and hiked to the ancient fortress at Masada at sunrise, taking in the Roman bathhouse there.
Throughout the trip, we explored the way music and hot springs naturally go together – first with an incredible fireside performance from local musicians and later with serenades from Marty Williams the arts, culture and entertainment director at Peninsula Hot Springs in Australia.
Overall, G3T provided the opportunity for hot springs professionals from around the world to meet and discuss how they can collectively evolve and grow as a wellness sector.
“The goal is to find ways to learn from each other to develop international understanding and create hot springs-centred wellness communities,” says Charles Davidson, chair and founder of Peninsula Hot Springs, who organises the event each year.
Attendee Mark Hennebry, chair of Europe-based Ensana Health Spas concludes: “Once again, the G3T programme brought together key industry leaders. The combination of informal conversations, education on mineral springs in Israel and music around campfires in the desert delivered deep and meaningful connections that resonate long after the event.”
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The Dead Sea is one of the world’s most famous mineral sources / Photo: Shutterstock/Hrecheniuk Oleksii
The Dead Sea is in trouble, its waters are shrinking by almost 4 feet every year and dangerous sinkholes are forming on its shores, explained local geologist Eli Raz during the recently-held Global Thermal Think Tank (G3T) in Israel.
The warning was a wake-up call for G3T attendees, a group of 24 international hot springs professionals and enthusiasts who took part in the three-day tour of thermal waters and historic sights in the country.
“It reminds us how important it is to be aware of environmental impacts on our source waters,” says participant Vicky Nash, executive director of the US-based Hot Springs Association. “The implementation of preservation and conservation plans is critical to protecting these natural resources.”
The annual G3T is an invitation-only event which precedes the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) and dives into the culture and practices of hot springs near where it’s held – with the latest event taking place in Tel Aviv. It got its start in 2016 in Bad Orb, Germany, in advance of the GWS in Kitzbühel, Austria.
This time, attendees visited the Ein Gedi oasis, had outdoor massages with views of the Dead Sea at Synergy Spa, floated and painted each other with mud at the Dead Sea, visited historical hot springs sites in Tiberias, soaked in the waters at Hamat Gader hot springs near the border of Syria and Jordan and swam in the Sea of Galilee.
Along the way, we stayed at a Bedouin tent camp, rode camels in the desert and hiked to the ancient fortress at Masada at sunrise, taking in the Roman bathhouse there.
Throughout the trip, we explored the way music and hot springs naturally go together – first with an incredible fireside performance from local musicians and later with serenades from Marty Williams the arts, culture and entertainment director at Peninsula Hot Springs in Australia.
Overall, G3T provided the opportunity for hot springs professionals from around the world to meet and discuss how they can collectively evolve and grow as a wellness sector.
“The goal is to find ways to learn from each other to develop international understanding and create hot springs-centred wellness communities,” says Charles Davidson, chair and founder of Peninsula Hot Springs, who organises the event each year.
Attendee Mark Hennebry, chair of Europe-based Ensana Health Spas concludes: “Once again, the G3T programme brought together key industry leaders. The combination of informal conversations, education on mineral springs in Israel and music around campfires in the desert delivered deep and meaningful connections that resonate long after the event.”
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Write to reply: Letters
Zulal's Sandie Johannessen shares her passion for medical wellness and Kloodos' Julie Cichocki says wellness protocols should start with the vagus nerve
Spa People: Leekyung Han
The South Korean-born spa consultant on why her home country should be on the radar of all wellness developers
Sponsored: Art of Cryo: Working well
Spa operators and corporate offices can now offer a comprehensive, six-part wellness journey designed by Art of Cryo to elevate health
Research: Wellness Travel Consumer Survey
A general reboot and nature/outdoor activities are key considerations for wellness tourists according to a new study by WTA. Anne Dimon reports
First person: Doctor’s orders
Can a partnership with an international hospital elevate a wellness retreat? Neena Dhillon visits RAKxa in Bangkok, Thailand to find out
Interview: Justin Musgrove
We talk to the CEO of Core Life, the exclusive lifestyle brand which has ambitions to expand to the world's most affluent cities
Sponsored: Starpool: Zerobody Cryo
The new Zerobody Cryo will deliver comfortable cold therapy for spa, wellness and sports says Starpool CEO, Riccardo Turri
A new survey of UK and international spa practitioners shows that stress, burnout and
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The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
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Anna Bjurstam has left her role as Wellness Pioneer at Six Senses Hotels and Resorts and
launched a new wellness, longevity and “consciousness consultancy” called Wahayla.
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has opened today (10 July) in the Northwest of England
with a
1,715sq m Fairmont Spa that has been designed using a ‘Wellness without Walls’
concept.
Wellness hotels generating less than US$1 million (€932,700, £785,200) – or 10 per cent of
total revenue from wellness and leisure – recorded the strongest RevPAR and TRevPAR growth
in 2025 across categories when compared with 2024, according to the latest Wellness Real
Estate Report by RLA Global, produced in partnership with P and L benchmarking firm HotStats.
Lefay Resorts, the portfolio of two luxury wellness properties in Italy, has added emotional
dance classes and group cold plunge sessions in response to market demand for social
connection.
Aditya Saluja, an industry leader in luxury wellness hospitality, has been
appointed as
commercial director of spa and wellness for the spa management division of
Minor Hotels,
MSpa International.
Contrast therapy, based on the alternation of hot and cold rituals, has become one of the
most valued practices in the fields of wellness and recovery. [more...]
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
RKF Luxury Linen RKF Luxury Linen, established in the East of France for several decades, owns an artisanal know-how [more...]
