Visitor numbers continue to weaken in Saxony's spas and have not yet reached pre-corona levels. Last year, the eight most important health spas in the Free State counted 1.27 million visitors in the bath and sauna sector, according to a survey conducted by the Saxon Spa Association for the German Press Agency. That is only 91 percent of the number of guests reached in 2019. "The health spas are the economic heart of the health resorts," says Managing Director Helfried Böhme. This area has been particularly "badly shaken" during the coronavirus years. In addition to bathing and sauna facilities, the so-called health spas in the health resorts usually also include therapy and wellness areas.
According to the association's survey, the health resorts are developing very differently. In Bad Brambach in the Vogtland region, visitor numbers have virtually gone through the roof in the past three years. In 2023, the Saxon state spa was able to increase these by 196 percent compared to 2019. According to Böhme, this is mainly due to the new radon therapy center in the town, which was built and inaugurated during the coronavirus pandemic. On the one hand, the new therapy wing makes it possible to accommodate more guests. On the other hand, radon seems to be popular as a treatment method. "Radon seems to provide good relief for pain, for example."
