ALICIA IS AN ATLANTIC COUNTRY LOCATED IN SOUTH-WESTERN EUROPE, A LAND WHERE GREEKS AND ROMANS PLACED THE END OF ANCIENT WORLD, A GEOGRAPHICAL ESTREME THAT SINCE MIDDLE AGES HAS BEEN THE CENTRE OF ATTRACTION FOR THOUSANDS OF PILGRIMS WHO GO TO THE SEPULCHRE OF THE APOSTLE SAINT JAMES, ESCHANGING IDEAS, TRADITIONS AND CULTURES, IN AN AREA THE SIZE OF BELGIUM, ISRAEL, MASSACHUSETTS OR TAIWAN, NOWADAYS IN GALICIA ALMOST THREE MILLION PEOPLE LIVE WITHIN AN AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENT WITHIN THE SPANISH STATE.

This Congress is co-organized by the Regional Government of Galicia-Spain, the World Tourism Organization- WTO, Turgalicia, Turespaña, Galician Association of Spas and the Coordinating Commission of the region of Nortbern Portugal- C.C.R.N., with the following objectives: A new view on the use of Thermal Tourism as a generator of wealth and quality employment. The difinition and normalization of traditional thermal techniques and new technical possibilities. The diversification of the Thermal Tourism, and its territorial integration as Thermal Resorts. The search for new strategies of communication and marketing of Thermal Tourism. The value of Galicia and Northern Portugal as a Thermal Euroregion. The mission of the World Tourism Organization, as the global authority setting voluntary standars for Tourism, gives a special scope and relevance to the work and conclusions of the Congress.