From November 8th to 10th, 2024, the Paracelsus Medical Private University (PMU), Innovation Salzburg GmbH and the Forum Via Sanitas are organizing the event. Healing Power of the Alps in Bad Hofgastein the specialist congress “Healing Power of the Alps”. The three-day congress under the theme “Forest and Water” offers a platform for the exchange of expertise, innovative ideas and best practices in the field of evidence-based health tourism. The aim is to promote the dialogue between medicine and tourism in the Salzburger Land and beyond.
“This year’s ninth congress in the ‘Healing Power of the Alps’ series is all about the intensive discussion of the health-promoting powers of forests and water – from traditional healing methods to modern approaches in health tourism,” says ao Univ.-Prof. Arnulf Hartl, head of the Institute for Ecomedicine at the Paracelsus Medical Private University (PMU) in Salzburg. “The Gastein Valley, with its unique health tourism offer of mountains, nature, thermal baths and healing tunnels, is ideal as an event location,” says the immunologist, who and his team are currently conducting two clinical studies in the region on the topics of prevention and rehabilitation.
The congress will be opened on November 8th by State Health Councilor Mag.a Daniela Gutschi, PMU Rector Univ.-Prof. Wolfgang Sperl, representatives of ARGE ALP, the mayors of Bad Füssing and Bad Gastein and the managing directors of the Bad Hofgastein and Bad Gastein tourism associations. In addition to lectures and discussions, excursions are also on the program.
Experts from medicine, science, tourism and nature conservation
Among the keynote speakers at the congress are Dr. Gisela Immich (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich), who speaks about the “health effects of the forest” and associate Univ.-Prof. Dr. Arnulf Hartl (PMU), on the topic of “Alpine healing water”. Frank Oette (Bavarian Spa Association) and Tobias Kurz (Mayor of Bad Füssing) will talk about the importance of the forest for health in Bavaria, while Mag. Bernhard Lehofer (Innovation Salzburg) will talk about the opportunities of nature-based health tourism from the perspective of EUSALP (EU Strategy for the Alpine Region).
Innovative health approaches are also at the center of the discourse: Dr. Martin Offenbächer (Gasteiner Heilstollen) presents “Health Resort Medicine 2.0”. Dr. Markus Müller (Head of the Psychosomatics Research Group, Nuremberg Clinic) presents the “Greencare study on nature and mental health”, and Christoph Köstinger (Gasteiner Heilstollen) explains the strategy for Gastein as a health destination. PMU researchers present current studies from the Gastein health region on prevention and rehabilitation. Another highlight is the keynote speech about integrating the forces of nature into curative and tourism concepts by health educator and forest therapist Gabriella Squarra. Johannes Ablinger (Federal Research Center for Forests) is dedicated to the topic of forest education and shows the positive effects of the forest on children and young people.
The program is rounded off with excursions on Sunday, November 11th – including “Forest bathing in the Angertal” and guided tours to the Gastein springs.
The congress “Healing Power of the Alps – Forest & Water” is organized by the EU Interreg project “WiWa²” (www.innovation-salzburg.at/projekt/interregprojekt-zur-bedeutung-heilressourcen-im-tourismus/) and ARGE ALP (www.argealp.org/de) funded and in collaboration with the Forum Via Sanitas. Healing power of the Alps (www.heilkraftderalpen.org/ueber-uns) and the EUSALP AG2 (www.argealp.org/de/arge-alp/eu-alpenraumstrategie-eusalp) organized as a green event by the state of Salzburg.
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More information and program: www.innovation-salzburg.at/veranstaltung/kongress-heilkraft-der-alpen-wald-wasser/
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Questions:
Paracelsus Private Medical University
ao Univ.-Prof. Dr. Arnulf Hartl
Institute of Ecomedicine
Institute Director
Mobil: +43 (0)699/14420022
Email: arnulf.hartl@pmu.ac.at
Paracelsus Private Medical University
Mag.a. Renate Weisböck-Erdheim MBA MIB
Institute of Ecomedicine
Project coordinator
Mobil: +43 (0)699/14420099
Email: renate.erdheim@pmu.ac.at
Congress “Healing Power of the Alps – Forest and Water”
Datum: 08.11.2024 – 10.11.2024
Art: Conferences and meetings
Ort: Convention Center
Tauernplatz 1
5630 Bad Hofgastein
Austria
URL: https://www.innovation-salzburg.at/veranstaltung/kongress-heilkraft-der-alpen-wald-wasser/