Thermal baths, the benefits of blue gold

Today, spas that treat rheumatism and other health problems are no longer the only ones on the hot-bath market. We're looking less to treat ourselves and more to relax or have fun. In the mountains, as in the plains, spas and wellness centers have proliferated. Ski resorts are relying more and more on thermalism to boost their tourism offerings, and the spa establishments that are springing up in towns and cities offer stressed-out city dwellers a setting conducive to escape and rejuvenation. But not all baths are equally successful in French-speaking Switzerland. Some, like the newly renovated Saillon baths in the Valais, are full to bursting. Others, like the Ovronnaz baths, are struggling or, like the Val-d'Illiez baths, have gone out of business altogether. However, major new projects are emerging: the resort of Les Collons in the Val d'Hérens, for example, has embarked on the construction of a thermal center accompanied by a whole complex of accommodation and catering facilities. Are there too many thermal baths in Switzerland? Are they really essential to the attractiveness of ski resorts? And aren't the prices charged today too high?