What Is Necessary to Enhance Long-Stay Demand in National Hot Spring Health Resorts? ─From Considerations Based on Field Work─ / 日本温泉気候物理医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

  In the present day when the space structure of the spa has been transformed, creation of a relaxation space appropriate for a long stay is in demand. The Onsen Stay promotion plan of the Ministry of the Environment calls for the creation of an expanded relaxation space and experience which utilizes local resources including the ambient surroundings. Furthermore, in the present age, which is said to be a stress society, there is room for the viewpoint that “existence of high-quality communication with the external environment of a spa relieves stress”. This justifies our investigation into whether there is a situation that the external environment of the spa is applied as a relaxation space for long stays.  Therefore, in national hot spring health resorts designated as the spas that promoted the Onsen Stay policy, I investigated what kind of program was carried to raise demand for a long-term stays. In this report, I investigate and report on Ruri Highland spa, Hamasaka spa, Umegashima spa, Hatake spa, Hirayu spa, Tazawa spa, Kakeyu spa, and Ichirino spa. I clarified that there were five methods for the making of programs to raise stay demand. Combinations of these five are possible. And I clarified that if these methods analyzed the external environment of the spa appropriate for a long stay, stay demand might be raised for a long term, as shown by an example.  I concluded that the possibility of long stays is raised when the external environment including cultural history resources and surroundings nature were utilized, including the creation of various walks and walking courses.