Mayor Lee Min-keun stated on August 12 that he aims to create a competitive marine healing model tailored to the conditions of Ansan.
During a visit to the marine healing center in Saint-Malo, France, he presented a concrete blueprint for Ansan's marine healing model.
On this day, Mayor Lee and his delegation visited the Les Thermes Marins de Saint-Malo to explore healing programs utilizing marine resources and examples of health management services. They sought ways to connect citizen health, tourism, and the local economy through Ansan's marine resources.
One key aspect that caught Mayor Lee's attention was Saint-Malo's approach to integrating healing, relaxation, accommodation, and tourism into a comprehensive service, rather than limiting marine healing to a simple health management program.
The Saint-Malo marine healing center operates various medical and health management programs, including thalassotherapy that utilizes Atlantic seawater, seaweed, and marine climate.
Notably, it has established a marine healing tourism model that allows for long-term stays while managing health, linking an 'aquatonic pool' that utilizes seawater pressure and flow with accommodation facilities.
Mayor Lee and his team experienced the aquatonic program firsthand, carefully examining the functions of each facility, user pathways, program composition, and the operational system of specialized personnel.
Following this, they held discussions with Karin Guillard, the center's Chief Operating Officer, and other officials to share insights on developing and operating marine healing programs, as well as the structure of specialized personnel and the French thalassotherapy system.
Mayor Lee signed a 'letter of intent for friendly exchange and cooperation' with the Saint-Malo marine healing center.
The letter outlines plans to expand exchanges and cooperation in various fields, including culture, sustainable development, and the economy, while continuously sharing operational experiences and information in the marine healing sector. It also positively considers establishing a friendly cooperative relationship between the two cities in the future.
Through this visit, Mayor Lee focused on applying overseas advanced cases to the realities of Ansan.
The marine healing initiative in Ansan is expected to be promoted in a way that connects health and relaxation infrastructure that citizens can readily experience with tourism and the local economy.
Citizens are particularly interested in this aspect. They believe that rather than facilities aimed solely at attracting external tourists, there is a need for a marine healing space that allows Ansan residents to enjoy health management and relaxation close to the sea, accessible to various demographics, including families, office workers, and the elderly.
Moreover, there is optimism that if the marine healing center connects with existing marine tourism resources, accommodations, food, and tourism content, it could increase the length of stay for local visitors and boost sales for small businesses, thereby revitalizing the local economy.
Mayor Lee emphasizes that rather than directly importing the Saint-Malo model, he aims to create a unique 'Ansan marine healing model' that reflects Ansan's sea, islands, tourism resources, and citizen demand.
He noted that his focus during the European visit was on how to create a virtuous cycle that integrates citizen health, tourism, and the local economy.
Mayor Lee stated, "By observing the healing programs and operational systems utilizing Saint-Malo's marine resources, I was able to clarify the direction of Ansan's marine healing model." He added, "We will develop a competitive marine healing model by adapting advanced European cases to the conditions of Ansan."
In addition, based on the results of this visit, Mayor Lee plans to comprehensively analyze the marine healing programs, facility operation methods, specialized personnel composition, and examples of healing tourism connections to reflect them in the future establishment and operational strategy of the Ansan marine healing center.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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