Social Thermalism and Relaunch Projects in the Name of Wellness Tourism

his chapter analyzes an aspect of the Italian and European spa industry, which so far has received little attention in literature: the rise and the decline of so-called social thermalism. The cost of these spa treatments had become unsustainable. Therefore, at the end of the 20th century, the State contribution for workers' spa therapies was dramatically reduced and the spa industry was forced to tackle the emergence of a severe economic crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has once again brought the industry to its knees and is looking for new forms of sustainability, not only for the spa itself but for the entire spatial planning. This chapter aims to investigate the innovative path of development by analyzing, through the case studies methodology, three different areas that represent success models of tourist attractions and new development models. This work aims to be a concrete contribution in support of this industry, above in this period to restarting tourism for wellness and thermal care. The SWOT analysis could help this rebuilding the thermal tourism, improving the weaknesses and developing the strengths.