O turismo saúde e as estâncias termais no Estado de Santa Catarina: a inserção do Tecnólogo em Cosmetologia e Estética

Abstract

In ancient times, the Greeks and Romans sought pleasure and cure through bathing in thermal springs. Throughout the world, there are towns and cities that have hydrothermal spas. The most famous ones are in Europe; in Germany, Spain, Portugal and Italy. These thermal waters have therapeutic effects, and are used to relieve and/or prevent certain sicknesses. Brazil, a country with an exuberant and abundant nature, has approximately sixty thermal springs registered throughout the country. There are sixteen spas in the State of Santa Catarina. Fifteen are active and one, now deactivated, has a special characteristic in that it is a saltwater thermal spa. The treatments carried out by means of thermal waters are known as Thermalism, considered a branch of the Health Tourism segment. Based on this reality, the purpose of this study was to list the services offered in the modalities of theramalism, as well as the complementary treatments that include the area of Cosmetology and Esthetics in this tourism segment. Within this context, the interest is not just in analyzing a destination and its thermal springs, but also in determining the qualifications of the professionals who work in these places, known as spas. Within this perspective, the study was developed by means of field research in the spas of the State of Santa Catarina, choosing as object a hotel business in the town of Gravatal/SC, which is supplied with thermal water and offers some services related to thermalism, and in the areas of cosmetology and esthetics. Thermalism in Santa Catarina is not seen as a form of prevention and treatment in health; the main focus of the spas is the pleasure of the bathing, fun and leisure. The professionals, on the whole, do not have technical or technological qualifications, but have acquired their knowledge in an empirical way, or by taking short courses. Many managers have still not realized the need for better exploitation of this sector. Finally, a proposal was presented for the implementation of some services known as alternative and/or complementary where Technologists in Cosmetology and Esthetics are trained to develop and put into the practice the four aspects: Science, health, beauty and management, thereby contributing to the construction and reconstruction of mental, physical and social well-being, to the development of the local area, to the business, and to health tourism in Santa Catarina and in Brazil