ABSTRACT
With regards to health and wellness tourism the Netherlands is a white spot on the European map. A tradition of using spas for medical reasons is totally absent in the country. Unlike in Germany and other European countries there has never been any recognition of the effect of mineral waters or sea-water upon one’s health. It is even being denied by the Dutch Association Against Quackery (Vereniging tegen Kwakzalverij), which is strongly opposed to every form of complementary and alternative medicine. In an article about water therapies on its website this Association states that ‘after a century little is known about the effectiveness of Kneipp therapy’ (Kwakzalverij.nl, 2012), thus denying the health effects that are obtained from treatment by water therapies throughout the world.
