“We will have many specialists, national and international, who will present the studies that they have conducted, over the years, on the practice of forest therapy and forest baths. There is already a wide range of studies documenting the benefits of spending time in nature to combat mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression and stress” DESTINATURE Coordinator – Natural Tourism Development Agency, revealed.
Luso and Mata Nacional do Bussaco, in the municipality of Milhada, Aveiro region, will host the 4th International Conference – Forestry and the Potential of Health, which will take place from 6-9 April.
Speaking to the Lusa Agency, Miguel Vasco emphasized that the event aims to deepen knowledge about the potential of the forest as a therapeutic resource that facilitates health and well-being.
He added, “We intend to include the issue of natural capital and forest capital on the development agenda for the central region for the coming years, in order to develop solutions to mental health problems that have been exacerbated by the epidemic.”
The scientific approach to nature and its relationship to health and wellness tourism will be reviewed by about 40 experts from Korea, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Lithuania and Germany.
According to the DESTINATURE coordinator, the four-day meeting will provide documentation of specific cases, in which target groups have been studied and the effects of nature’s therapeutic practices on diseases such as anxiety, depression or stress will be evaluated.
He explained that “on the Portuguese side, there will be a presentation of a study related to nature in the treatment of attention disorders and hyperactivity in young people, in addition to a group of presentations on the dimension of therapeutic forests in Central Europe.”
The reality of Scotland, where the National Health Service has already described nature walks as a therapeutic practice, will be shared, while studies will arrive from Slovenia and Italy which “link the tourism potential of this set of practices”.
“From the United Kingdom, the University of Derby will present a study on the effect of nature on the mental health of young people. It is an audience that, it seems, in the coming years, will need solutions of this kind, due to the conditionality of the last two years of confinement,” he said.
To Lusa, Miguel Vasco also said that he expects that there will be about a hundred and a half people registered for the work of the conference, which will be held at the Grand Hotel de Luso.
The works also include hands-on workshops that will be held in the immersion of nature in the center of Mata do Bussaco, to explore its pioneering potential for the development of these healing practices.
The 4th International Conference – Forestry and Health Potential is promoted by DESTINATURE – the Natural Tourism Development Agency, with the support of the Municipality of Mealhada, Turismo Centro de Portugal, Mata do Bussaco Foundation and Grande Hotel de Luso.
As part of the PROVERE iNature Collective Efficiency Strategy – Sustainable Tourism in the Classified Regions, it is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), by CENTRO 2020, Portugal 2020 and the European Union.
