Research projects
WiWa2 (Nature-based Therapies – Water & Forest)

Project code: BA0100027

Funding program: EU Interreg Bavaria-Austria 2021-2027

Project duration: 01.2023

Total budget: 875.000 €

Project partners:

• Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg (PMU) - Institute of Ecomedicine (AT, LEAD partner)
• Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) - Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research (IBE) (DE)
• Innovation Salzburg GmbH (AT)
• Bad Hofgastein Spa and Tourism Association (AT)
• German Pension Insurance Bavaria South - Rehabilitation Center Bad Füssing - Passau (DE)

Project content

Tourism runs through numerous areas of life, society and the economy, especially in rural regions, and is therefore one of the most important cross-border development drivers for Bavaria and Austria. Health resorts and spas are a central element of tourism and have been the crystallization seeds of regional economic, social and tourism development for centuries. Extremely sustainable value chains have been established around natural resources, which still characterize the culture and economy today. Preventive, rehabilitative & therapeutic offers have always been individual and indication-specific – and have known how to use the special features of healing resources as a USP and field of development for medical services.

Building on this tradition and economic strength, WiWa2 is investigating new evidence-based approaches to the effectiveness of natural areas on the health and quality of life of the population and specific patient populations. To this end, clinical studies are being conducted in Bad Füssing (Bavaria, Germany) and Bad Hofgastein (Salzburg, Austria), among other places, to generate medical evidence for nature-based therapies that integrate new rehabilitation formats in the surrounding natural environment - especially forests and water - based on the clinical area and its indications. For example, indication-specific forest therapies are being evaluated, and nature-based and health-promoting offers are being developed. As a result, regional value chains can be strengthened through the valorization of the surrounding healing resources and the natural environment can be better managed and protected. The project outcomes are:

1. Potential maps for the valorization of natural healing resources to increase the quality of life for locals and guests
2. Guidelines for sustainable habitat development through nature-based health tourism
3. Sustainability strategy for clinics, tourism and communities to create resilient and diversified health services at local level

Funding information

This project is part of the EU Interreg program Bavaria-Austria 2021-2027.