"A sanatorium and resort complex can become one of the key stages in the ecosystem of human health restoration"

"The term 'spa and resort tourism' is used as a trendy label, but no such concept exists in global classification"

– In professional discussions about the spa and resort industry, you use the words "patient," "guest," and "visitor." How do market players define the person who comes to a sanatorium today?

– From an industry perspective, this person plays several "roles", and how they're referred to depends on the type of facility. In professional circles we still say "patient": a sanatorium is a licensed medical organization operating within the framework of the Ministry of Health, and people come there for treatment and recovery. In public organizations, the term "patient" dominates: it reflects the medical component and the legal status of such care.

In recent years, a significant portion of spa and resort facilities have moved into private hands, bringing with them a different approach borrowed from the hospitality industry. Terms like "sick person" and even "patient" are avoided there; "guest" is far more comfortable. This is a deliberate emphasis on hospitality logic: the sanatorium is viewed as a hotel plus a medical unit, and the person is simultaneously a guest receiving accommodation along with wellness, rehabilitation, and medical services.

 

"Visitors" are people who live or vacation in apart-hotels and other accommodation facilities built in resort zones adjacent to sanatoriums. Such hotels enter into agreements with nearby spa and resort institutions and send their guests there for procedures. Formally, the person doesn't reside in the sanatorium, but purchases its medical and wellness services. For the sanatorium, this person is a "visitor" and consumer of the spa and resort product. The apart-hotel model has not yet become a mass market driver and has shown limited effectiveness, but it exists as a distinct segment.

 

– How important is the terminology around "sanatorium," wellness, and medical tourism?

– For a foreign guest, the phrase "spa and resort industry" means very little. But "wellness" and "wellness tourism" are instantly recognizable, the person already has a clear image and expectations. This is why many medical centers are opening full-fledged wellness clusters. A good example is Turkey: Memorial Clinic has a separate wellness arm, Memorial Wellness, built to the highest standard.

 

Wellness and health tourism have long since become an enormous global market. According to the Global Wellness Institute, its value is measured in the trillions of dollars, from 7 to 9 trillion, depending on the methodology. This figure encompasses a wide range of segments: wellness real estate, dietary supplements and nutritional support, mental health, spa treatments, traditional and alternative medicine. We're talking about Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, and the revival of Russian traditional practices, such as steam bathing, herbal therapy, and folk dances. However unusual it may sound, these work: they reduce stress, foster a sense of community, and reconnect people with nature and themselves. People eagerly participate in hiking, grounding practices, and group activities, these are all part of the wellness trend.

 

– Can the concept of spa and resort tourism legitimately stand as an independent category?

– For the foreign tourist seeking wellness, absolutely yes, it's a clear product. But the term "spa and resort tourism" is essentially inaccurate, it's frequently used as a trendy label, yet no such concept exists in global classification. There is medical tourism, within which various specializations exist. We went through the same thing with attempts to label everything "clinical tourism," "dental tourism," and so on. In reality it's medical tourism and the export of medical services, everything else is simply elaboration.

 

"Short programs can do more harm than good if they are not properly structured"

– How has demand for spa and resort services evolved in recent years?

– Starting in 2020, demand has grown steadily. If you picture the trend as an investment chart, it's an upward curve. Covid gave it its initial impulse: during strict lockdowns, only medical organizations were permitted to operate, and sanatoriums are precisely that. Hotels were closed, and people discovered sanatoriums: it turned out that they offer not just hotel-style accommodation but also wellness, recovery, and rehabilitation programs. Booking lead times grew, occupancy was high, and sanatoriums gained the ability to raise prices.

 

After the pandemic, this trend held firm and even strengthened. The post-Covid period generated sustained demand for wellness, a more intentional approach to one's own health, and a focus on active longevity. Each year brings new product trends around health, and a significant portion of them is picked up by the spa and resort industry, supplementing what outpatient and inpatient medicine, both public and private, already provides.

 

– Who forms the primary core of demand for sanatoriums today?

– Looking at age demographics, three key groups stand out clearly. The first is the 35–55 age bracket: working, overloaded, living in a state of chronic stress, with the first systemic health disruptions beginning to emerge. This is the fastest-growing and most demanding audience, effectively the backbone of demand.

 

The second group is the so-called silver age, the older generation. This is a thoughtful, financially secure audience with both time and money. It's no coincidence that the global and Russian agenda speaks of a silver economy: a significant share of economic sectors today targets precisely these people. In the spa and resort segment, they generate higher average spend and longer stays.

 

The third major group is families with children. Young parents are increasingly instilling a health-conscious mindset in their children from an early age. For them, a sanatorium is no longer "treatment by medical indication" but a format for mindful, healthy leisure combined with building the child's health. This is a very promising segment that will only grow.

 

– How do younger audiences, bloggers, millennials, respond to sanatoriums? Is perception shifting?

– Younger audiences are rediscovering sanatoriums, often with genuine surprise. Bloggers arrive, whether invited or on their own initiative, and find themselves genuinely impressed. They grasp the "all in one place" formula: rest, nutrition, wellness, excursions, themed events. This stands in sharp contrast to various hyped trends, swamp retreats, rustic cabin getaways, monastery stays, which may be fashionable for one or two seasons and then disappear. A sanatorium delivers a comprehensive solution to several needs simultaneously, and this is highly valued, especially when someone is exhausted by endless choices and simply wants to hand their care over to professionals.

 

– Which services and areas are sanatorium guests requesting most often today?

– The top five are: anti-stress, sleep restoration, mental health, personal health check-ups, and rehabilitation. Rehabilitation, of course, remains foundational, a spa and resort facility is, after all, a medical institution, and personalization never goes away. Every guest is approached individually, because everyone has their own unique set of conditions. Mud therapy is contraindicated for certain conditions, as are thermal waters and mineral waters. There are clear indications and restrictions for physical therapy procedures.

 

Since it is a fully equipped medical facility with diagnostic capabilities, including endoscopic examinations, gastro- and colonoscopy under sedation, and CT scanning, conducting a comprehensive check-up is straightforward. Ultrasound, lab work, including genetic testing, all of this is readily accessible. Yet at the same time this is medicine without the hospital feel: you're on vacation, surrounded by the sea or forests, taiga, mountains, fresh air. An entirely different experience from a concrete urban clinic.

 

– You mentioned anti-stress programs and sleep tourism as the leading trends. Are these genuinely effective solutions, or primarily marketing hype?

– The stressed 35–55 demographic is precisely the group targeted by the two most prominent product trends today. The first is anti-stress programs, the second is so-called sleep tourism. Demand for sleep restoration, stress reduction, and burnout recovery is enormous. An entire industry is forming around this, not only within spa and resort facilities but also in hotels with spa infrastructure, which are likewise developing specialized programs and products.

 

There is a real line between marketing and medicine here. Yes, these are high-demand, commercially viable products, people are willing to pay for them. But one must understand the reality: the 35–55 audience we're describing opts for short programs, 5, 7, at most 10 days. Within that window, it's possible to kickstart the recovery mechanism, to get a kind of "recharge" that allows continued functioning. But this is precisely a recharge, not a full therapeutic effect.

 

The scientifically validated, sustained effect of spa and resort treatment is achieved over 21–24 days, effectively a month. Over this period, the body reorganizes itself and develops adaptive mechanisms that prevent the onset of acute conditions, forestall flare-ups of chronic diseases, and enhance stress resilience. These are not arbitrary numbers. Recall how the healthcare system was structured in the Soviet Union: a person would see a primary care physician, then be referred to an inpatient facility, undergo treatment or surgery, and the next stage was directly into a sanatorium. Why? First, to consolidate the effects of treatment. Second, to reduce pharmaceutical load. Third, to ensure that chronic conditions did not flare up for at least six months.

 

What did this deliver? An enormous socioeconomic effect: a reduced burden on the healthcare system, the government, and employers through lower sick leave costs, and most importantly, the person remained productive for an extended period. European countries adopted this system in the 1990s, Norway, Iceland, and they live with life expectancies of 80–81 years in significant part due to this approach.

 

– Yet today, short programs of 7–10 days dominate. Can these be considered proper treatment?

– The modern consumer cannot commit 21–24 days. The pace of life has accelerated and continues to do so. Urbanization is growing, the volume of information people consume is increasing, naturally, the brain needs to be quieted in both the literal and figurative sense. Sleep is the best medicine for that.

 

But there is an important nuance: short programs can do more harm than good if they are not properly structured. A person arrives fatigued and overloaded, enters a different climate zone, the body needs time to adjust, typically one to two days. On top of that, they begin actively using sanatorium services, procedures, the pool, physical therapy. For the body, this is additional stress. Stress compounded by stress most certainly does not promote recovery. We see how, following such brief stays, people begin seeking medical attention because chronic conditions have flared up.

 

– Is there a way to reduce the risks of short programs?

– Yes, many facilities now offer medical supervision before arrival, throughout the stay, and after the guest returns home. Sanatorium physicians continue to monitor the guest remotely. This is feasible for premium facilities, four- and five-star sanatoriums. Incidentally, spa and resort facilities now also carry star ratings, like hotels, which helps bring structure to the market.

 

"Personalized dietary supplements are a powerful trend in their own right"

– What role do sanatoriums play in the dietary supplement and functional nutrition market, and where is the industry heading?

– Looking ahead, one of the most resilient vectors is the personalization of services. We see the market for dietary supplements and functional nutrition growing rapidly, and the spa and resort segment is becoming a natural entry point: medical supervision is present, the target audience is there, and trust in physician recommendations is high. Personalized dietary supplements represent a powerful trend in their own right: the Global Wellness Institute has been tracking a move toward personalized nutrition and supplements for several years. And while this became the norm globally by 2025, such solutions arrive in Russia within a couple of years.

 

We're talking about services that formulate individual supplement regimens for a specific person, based on their lab results, lifestyle, genetics, and existing conditions. Such products were once very expensive: manual labor, complex logistics, high production costs. With the advent of AI, at-home testing kits, and more automated production lines, the cost of personalization has begun to fall, making it accessible to a growing number of people.

 

In 2022, when I was working at Mriya Resort and heading the Department of Medicine and Wellness, we came very close to launching personalized dietary supplements: we formed a working group of physicians, biologists, and technologists, and found a supplier. But when we ran the numbers, it was clear the market wasn't ready, the product was too expensive. The situation is changing now, and the government is beginning to regulate this segment more actively, recognizing that we're now talking about tens and hundreds of billions of rubles in turnover.

 

Spa and resort facilities have already become one of the key distribution channels for dietary supplements and functional nutrition. In virtually any major sanatorium you'll find display cases with supplement products that physicians prescribe as part of preventive and rehabilitation programs. Over the last 6–7 years, sanatoriums have been actively working in this niche, and in the coming years the conversation will be less about simple supplement sales and more about building personalized protocols tied to specific patients and their wellness plans. This fits naturally into the concept of preventive and longevity medicine.

 

"Spa has stopped being about 'a relaxing massage': it is now effectively its own discipline"

– Beyond nutrition and supplements, which other areas do you consider defining for 2026?

– There is a distinct and sustained demand for improving quality of life. People want not only to live longer but to live better: without persistent pain, chronic fatigue, and rigid limitations. Even when I was working as an oncologist, I always discussed two treatment goals with patients, quantity and quality of life. Achieving the maximum on both simultaneously is rarely possible, and people are increasingly choosing in favor of quality: they are far less willing to tolerate severe side effects and the loss of their accustomed way of life.

 

This shapes the demand structure: rehabilitation programs (physical and mental), management of metabolic disorders and obesity, comprehensive anti-stress solutions, sleep restoration, and products affecting energy, cognitive function, and daily activity.

 

In 2026, in my view, several directions will dominate. First, personalization, from wellness programs to rehabilitation protocols and supplement selection. Second, short formats: one week, 10–14 days. Yes, from a medical standpoint a 21–24 day course is ideal, but the pace of life dictates otherwise, so the market will seek ways to maximize the effect within shorter timeframes.

 

Third, everything connected with rehabilitation, physical, mental, oncological, and traumatological. And of course, integration with wellness and spa. The spa field has stopped being about "a relaxing massage": it is now effectively its own discipline with its own protocols, ingredients, and technologies. Guests understand cosmetics, seaweed, types of procedures, and expect a meaningful rather than decorative spa component. Sanatoriums that skillfully combine classical spa and resort treatment with spa and wellness technologies will come out on top.

 

"Sanatoriums are natural candidates to take on a significant share of rehabilitation for critical conditions"

– You mentioned cancer rehabilitation. Why do you consider this one of the key areas for sanatoriums?

– Cancer rehabilitation is a critically important and still undervalued segment for the spa and resort industry. There are increasing numbers of oncology patients, while specialized rehabilitation centers in the country are very few. Essentially, sanatoriums are natural candidates to take on a significant share of rehabilitation for critical conditions, cardiovascular, respiratory, and oncological. For a long time, many sanatoriums effectively steered clear of cancer patients, but now regions are emerging that have overcome that hesitation and built a systematic approach.

 

– Are there examples of a working cancer rehabilitation model based at a sanatorium?

– One of the best examples is Sanatorium Yumatovo in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Five years ago, working together with the regional Ministry of Health, they developed a full patient routing system for oncology patients: a well-designed cancer rehabilitation program, oncology consultations, a multidisciplinary team, and clear logistics. The sanatorium works with charitable foundations, accepts patients under mandatory health insurance and on a paid basis, not yet at the required scale, but fully legally and within the regulatory framework.

 

Importantly, specialists don't simply transfer the classical sanatorium procedure set but adapt it to the needs of the oncology patient. For example, with mud therapy they account for temperature conditions, use chilled mud, and combine it with physical therapy and electrophoresis to preserve therapeutic properties without causing harm. Emphasis is placed on safe physical activity, breathing exercises, lymphatic drainage, and psychological support. This is an example of how the industry, drawing on science and regulations, finds solutions where only recently a categorical "forbidden" was the response.

 

– Can one say that cancer rehabilitation based at sanatoriums is attractive not only to physicians but to investors as well?

– I'm confident that cancer rehabilitation will be one of the fastest-growing areas in the spa and resort sphere over the coming years. Even now, investors view such projects as a combination of social significance and financial sustainability. Many potential investors are already designing facilities where cancer rehabilitation will be the primary product. This makes sense: the patient flow exists, the medical need is enormous, and the niche is still poorly served by quality offerings.

 

"Simply fitting a prosthesis is not enough, the person needs a complete pathway: from selection and fitting through rehabilitation and return to active life"

– How do you assess the potential of sanatoriums in working with people with disabilities, including para-athletes?

– Inclusivity is one area that will certainly grow and form its own distinct product line. Demand comes not only from Russian patients but also from foreign guests, including Paralympic athletes, who are willing to come if offered a clear, specialized product and infrastructure. There is a call to bring the topic of inclusive leisure and para-athlete rehabilitation onto our professional platforms, and we are doing this within the National Resort Association: not merely discussing it but developing methodology and helping regions implement solutions.

 

Compelling examples already exist. The Altai Territory is systematically building inclusive infrastructure; in Crimea, an entire cluster of products for people with disabilities has been created, including unique facilities adapted for guests with limited mobility. These are not isolated stories but systemic work at the intersection of medicine, tourism, and rehabilitation, which in the coming years will become a significant industry driver.

 

Assistive technologies and bionic prosthetics represent another powerful trend directly linked to the spa and resort industry. We see companies like Motorika growing dramatically, generating enormous revenue, including through government procurement, and shaping a new bionic prosthetics market. But simply fitting a prosthesis is not enough: the person needs a complete pathway from selection and fitting through rehabilitation and return to active life.

 

Some players are building precisely such ecosystems. For example, the medical center with Beloostrovo as its flagship combines polyclinics, rehabilitation centers, and spa and resort facilities. They work with Motorika's competitors but structure a complete cycle: prosthesis selection and fitting, rehabilitation, the sanatorium stage, and ongoing support. This is a modern, fully packaged product for the inclusive patient.

 

Pathways are also taking shape at the federal level. The Center for Innovation in Traumatology (JSC CITO) offers a model in which the spa and resort link is a full-fledged part of the rehabilitation pathway. My position here is simple: many sanatoriums are already capable today of doing significantly more, working with prosthetics, handling selection and rehabilitation, and providing ongoing monitoring. A number of facilities have operating theaters and modern diagnostics, meaning that when needed, they can integrate even more steps into this cycle.

 

– Is there sufficient infrastructure in Russia for rehabilitation and inclusive patients, or are sanatoriums a forced substitute for absent dedicated centers?

– We genuinely lack rehabilitation centers. New facilities are being built, but they often involve small capacity, perhaps 30 beds per region, which clearly does not match the scale of the need. Moreover, most such centers are concentrated in Moscow and large cities, while demand exists across the entire country. Spa and resort facilities can and should absorb this load: they have the base, the grounds, natural therapeutic factors, and most importantly, the patient's time, which is almost entirely absent in a standard inpatient setting.

 

This is what drives the trend: packaging products for inclusive patients that incorporate assistive technologies. There will undoubtedly be demand for this. Especially given the growing number of people requiring extended rehabilitation, from veterans to patients recovering from severe trauma, stroke, and cancer. For them, sanatoriums can become not a supplement but a central stage in the recovery pathway.

 

"Corporate health is the modern form of preventive medicine"

– Are companies today using sanatoriums as part of their corporate health systems?

– Corporate health is another strong and resilient trend. Large corporations with their own sanatoriums or long-term resort contracts are effectively returning to the Soviet model: prevention, the sanatorium stage, and monitoring of employee wellbeing. Programs are implemented through voluntary health insurance and internal corporate packages, and interest in them is growing for an obvious reason: employers need capable, resourceful employees, not people in a perpetual state of chronic burnout.

 

In essence, corporate health is the modern form of preventive medicine. For sanatoriums, it represents a stable stream of guests, more predictable occupancy, and the opportunity to build long-term programs rather than just individual stays. For companies, it means reduced sick leave costs and improved staff loyalty and performance.

 

"There are also more questionable additions, numerology, tarot, and other purely marketing-driven offerings"

– What other new technologies and treatment methods are gaining popularity?

– One growing trend is the use of medical gases. These are non-invasive technologies actively applied in the recovery of virtually any condition: oxygen mixtures, hydrogen mixtures, combined gas blends. These methods have already been introduced in many sanatoriums, but we are now moving toward a more systematic approach: we plan to conduct full clinical trials to develop clinical guidelines.

 

Research is already underway at major centers, including the FMBA, and we intend to continue this work at our own scientific base, at the spa and resort facilities within the National Resort Association network. This is an important example of how the industry is not merely adopting ready-made solutions but building its own evidence base and adapting methods to specific settings and patient profiles.

 

Demand is also rising for traditional Chinese medicine. A number of sanatoriums are already actively incorporating elements of Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, and body-oriented practices. This is done not as a replacement for classical treatment but as a complement to it, broadening the product range and addressing guest demand for "gentle" and body-centered formats.

 

There are also more questionable additions, numerology, tarot, and other purely marketing-driven offerings. Personally, I view these as a "hype add-on": they have no connection to medicine, but the sanatorium market is highly sensitive to demand, and if some guests choose a facility because of such an option, some institutions are willing to include it in order to raise the average spend.

 

– What is the primary gap in the spa and resort industry right now, in terms of human capital and standards?

– The main gap is a new type of physician and modern service standards. We need specialists who are simultaneously clinically strong, able to communicate with demanding guests, and who think in terms of products and ecosystems rather than individual procedures. Plus, unified service standards comparable to best practices in both the hospitality and medical industries.

 

Service in hotels has long been the subject of systematic attention; in medicine, patient experience culture is also actively developing. But a sanatorium sits between these two worlds, and sometimes the result is that excellent medicine sits alongside outdated service. To bridge this gap, I initiated with colleagues the development of a specialized program "Service Management and Client-Orientation in Spa and Resort Organizations," which we implemented jointly with the National Resort Association and V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University. To date we have had two cohorts of participants and continue this work.

 

The National Resort Association is also the developer of the national standard GOST R "Quality Management in Spa and Resort Organizations. Requirements" (included in the National Standardization Program for 2024–2025). In the future, this national standard may form the basis for a Technical Regulation of the Customs Union "On the Safety of Services Provided by Sanatoriums, Boarding Houses, Rest Homes, and Spa Complexes." The standard is in development, and our task is to bring it into practice, through training, implementation, and oversight.

 

"The global trend that the Global Wellness Institute identified in 2025: wellness on the move"

– What role does the National Resort Association play in transforming the industry?

– We call ourselves "the unified voice of the industry" not as a stylistic flourish. The Association engages in scientific, methodological, and practical work. We develop standards and methodologies, conduct clinical studies at sanatoriums, test new recovery methods, and then help colleagues implement them in practice.

 

One example is cocoon therapy, a method we classify within the domain of mental and psychological health. It went through validation, demonstrated effectiveness, and now many sanatoriums are procuring and implementing it as part of their stress management and emotional burnout programs. There are many such projects, and it is precisely these that allow the industry not merely to chase trends but to build its own expertise and competitive advantages.

 

– Comparing with international experience: does Russia hold competitive advantages in this area?

– Russia is undoubtedly very rich in this regard. We have a unique combination of natural therapeutic factors, a long tradition of spa and resort medicine, and deep medical expertise. Moreover, our experience is actively studied abroad. In Turkey, for example, there is currently enormous demand for Russian specialists who understand spa and resort technologies. Why? Because the all-inclusive model is gradually losing its appeal, Turkish colleagues need to find new ways to retain tourists, including Russian ones. And among foreign tourists, the demand for wellness is growing.

 

Major premium networks are also moving in this direction. In Thailand and the Arab world, entire healing hotels and healing clinics are developing. Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and Aman Resorts, for example, in addition to their hotels and resorts, operate cruise ships where a full wellness system has been built: spa treatments, detox programs, medical consultations. This reflects the global trend that the Global Wellness Institute identified in 2025: wellness on the move. Not losing time, whether on a plane, train, or ship.

 

Emirates airline, for example, has launched telemedicine consultations directly on board. This is an element of total engagement: the person is involved 24/7, wherever they are. Many companies are restructuring their businesses along precisely this logic. This is a separate large topic that could be explored at length, but the key point is clear: wellness and health are no longer confined to a "special place and time", they are embedded in everyday life and travel.

 

"Sanatorium medicine increases the average spend by 300–400% compared to standard hotel business"

– How has the number of sanatoriums in Russia changed? Is the industry growing or contracting?

– An interesting situation: the Ministry of Health gives one set of figures, consulting agencies give another. The Ministry of Health cites 1,735–1,745 sanatoriums. Consulting agencies say 1,695. The numbers shift slightly, but everyone agrees that the total bed count is increasing.

 

The reality is that many sanatoriums are closing because they cannot sustain themselves. Aging room stock, worn-out equipment, they struggle to compete. At the same time, we see them being acquired or taken under management by hotel operators who know how to run things their way: they turn a sanatorium into both a sanatorium and a hotel simultaneously.

 

New sanatoriums are being built, but primarily at the premium level. Enormous capital is being invested. In Sochi, for example, Sanatorium Kristall recently opened, for the first time in many years, with 354 rooms.

 

– Why this skew toward the premium segment, if premium clients aren't that numerous?

– At every industry event I make the same recommendation: build three-star, three-plus, four-star sanatoriums, and you'll immediately have a mass audience. Because, frankly, very few people can afford Kristall or Mriya.

 

But on the subject of Mriya Resort, there is a specific example: Sberbank employees from all regions of the country bring their families there and receive spa and resort services under a corporate program. This is the company's social investment. But even for them, Mriya is too expensive.

 

– Why do hotels need sanatorium medicine, and how does the average spend increase?

– It comes down to economics. Adding medical services immediately increases the average spend by 300–400% compared to standard hotel business. We see that the average spend at spa and resort facilities grew by 12–20% over 2025. And it will continue to grow, because demand generates supply, and supply is scarce. There aren't enough facilities, and guests no longer want just a hotel. Give them more value, more meaning. And the trend toward wellness, a more intentional approach to one's health, and active longevity will only intensify, supported by the appropriate infrastructure. Accordingly, consumption will grow.

 

But an important caveat: perpetual growth is not guaranteed. Over the past five years we have been in a growth phase, and in some regions we have already reached a plateau. Whether that plateau moves up or down will depend on various factors, primarily economic ones.

 

The guest whose profile we've outlined wants not just a hotel but added value, medicine, wellness, and health care. Major hotel groups have understood this and have begun building their own sanatoriums. But I'll say it again: build three-star, three-plus, four-star facilities, and you'll reach a mass audience. The premium segment is saturated; the accessible segment is underserved.

 

"We have a certain cultural memory: our parents went to sanatoriums for 21 days. That mental framework is still alive"

– What is happening with prices, and how does this affect guest behavior?

– The pricing question is genuinely pressing right now. As we discussed, high demand combined with limited supply is one factor driving prices up. Add to that the need to raise salaries for physicians and mid-level medical staff, investments in modern equipment, and infrastructure renovation, all of this is reflected in cost.

 

Today, standard facilities offer a daily rate in the range of 8,000 to 15,000 rubles. This includes accommodation, meals, and a basic treatment program. In the premium segment, prices start at 50,000 rubles per night and above. The average package for 10–14 days with a full range of services costs 300,000–350,000 rubles per person. For a family of three, parents plus a child, that is already a serious sum for the average Russian family.

 

Sanatoriums recognize this barrier and are experimenting with formats: short programs of 3–5 days, weekend getaways. But it's important to keep in mind that from a medical standpoint, short courses are not always effective, and can sometimes worsen a patient's condition if they try to compress too many procedures into a limited time. The optimal course is 14–21 days, but the reality is that far from everyone can afford this either in time or financially.

 

– How much does the high price threshold affect investment activity? Are new sanatoriums being built?

– Yes, despite high prices for guests, this very factor motivates investors. New facilities are being built, and these are classical sanatoriums: fully equipped spa and resort complexes with a medical base, treatment programs, and their own grounds. There are, of course, alternative formats too: medical spa, hotel plus medical center. Such models are actively developing in Europe, but for Russia it's too early to say whether they will take hold widely. Not enough time has passed to draw definitive conclusions.

 

I'll say more: the classical spa and resort facility with modern service, attractive rooms, and technologically advanced medicine still enjoys strong demand. This is a model proven over decades, and we have a certain cultural memory: our parents went to sanatoriums for 21 days, and the generation that grew up in the 1980s and 1990s carries an understanding that a sanatorium is serious, it's about health, it works. That mental framework is still alive.

 

– What new formats do you consider the key trends at the intersection of medicine and resort leisure?

– Speaking of trends, we see an interesting development in premium wellness centers and medical spas, effectively a hotel plus a serious medical base. Such projects are beginning to open urban branches of spa and resort complexes within city limits. In St. Petersburg, for example, one well-known premium resort has opened a city branch to close the cycle: 7–10 days at the resort, with the program continuing in the city, or vice versa.

 

In Moscow, one of the large clinic networks is also building a sanatorium within the city itself. The format in which a business captures its entire patient flow, diagnostics, treatment, rehabilitation both in the city and at the resort, will clearly win out, because the key value for market players today is stable patient and guest flows.

 

I know that some premium-level clinics are also planning to enter the spa and resort segment. Some projects are in the Moscow region, some in Crimea. The Major holding, for example, has its own medical business in the mid-price segment and is simultaneously already building spa and resort facilities in the Moscow region and Crimea. Other premium Moscow clinics are working through similar projects, though of course they will brand them differently, wellness, health, medical spa.

 

"A sanatorium and resort complex can become one of the key stages in the ecosystem of human health restoration"

– How do the government and private medicine view the spa and resort industry today?

– They have started taking the spa and resort industry seriously. This is a niche that can provide a stable flow of people and services. If the tourism sector learned relatively quickly to work with this topic, medicine is engaging more slowly. At the same time, private and public clinics already have product solutions that can be transferred to sanatoriums: telemedicine consultations, specialist exchanges, physician visits to sanatoriums to screen and select patients.

 

When it comes to successful examples of integrating clinics and sanatoriums into a unified ecosystem, I can give the example of a large private clinic where I worked: our physicians traveled to sanatoriums, consulted, selected patients, and told them about the clinic, especially in the areas of traumatology and joint replacement, because the core sanatorium audience is people of silver age. That large private medical group has since sold its sanatoriums, but as far as I know, efforts are underway to rebuild this direction.

 

The potential is enormous: these are streams of people ready to consume medical and wellness services, and venues where you can deploy not only physicians and methodologies but build a genuine 360° ecosystem. We've all heard this term in marketing for many years, but the task is to transform it from a fashionable slogan into reality. A sanatorium and resort complex can become one of the key stages in this ecosystem of human health restoration.

 

– In Russia, sanatoriums formally fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health, yet tourism structures are also involved in developing the industry. Does this create problems?

– Last year a law was passed on the organization of federal resorts, but so far neither market players nor the industry itself fully understands what it gives them, beyond a resounding name for marketing purposes. "Federal-significance resort" sounds impressive, but real changes are not yet visible. I hope there will be clarifications this year.

 

The spa and resort industry is a sphere that can support the implementation of many national priorities: increasing life expectancy, demographics. There is a direct correlation between quality rest, health restoration, and birth rates. When a person disconnects, rests, and restores reproductive health, both male and female, conception happens more readily. If you look at birth statistics by month and count back nine months, you'll see a clear correlation with holiday and vacation periods. This has been demonstrated by sociologists. The social impact is enormous.