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It is therefore no surprise that, as far as tourism is concerned, they have become the country's major trump card. For the last couple of years, there has been a 5 to 10 % annual increase in the number of guests staying at these establishments. Interestingly, more than half of the guests come from other countries, particularly from Italy, Croatia, Austria, Germany, France, Holland, Switzerland and Scandinavia. On average, guests stay between four or five days. Due to their excellent financial results, spas now rank among the most successful Slovenian businesses as well as among the biggest investors. Most of them continually reinvest huge sums of money into new and upgraded facilities. Terme Moravci (or Terme 3000), for example, invested 2 million euros into a new wellness complex and an additional 10 million into other facilities. The quality of their facilities is actually so high that it is often difficult to find low-budget accommodation, including 2- and 3-star accommodation, especially in the wintertime when camping sites are closed. Most of the hotels are in the 4-star range and the only cheaper options are bungalows or apartments. Most spas, especially the larger ones, are located in the eastern parts of Slovenia. Aside from a couple of thermal pools, such as Bohinj or Snovik near Kamnik, the only significant ones in the west are in Strunjan and Portoroz. But for the big ones, well, you just have to head east - the further the better. The largest are Terme Moravci, just a stone's throw from the Hungarian border, and Terme Catez, which is located not far from the Croatian border, alongside the Ljubljana - Zagreb highway. These two giants can each boast a total of over 700,000 overnight stays annually or more than 10 % of all overnight stays in Slovenia each. Last but not least, one must not forget the healing properties of the spas, which were actually the precondition for their existence. They are still an important part of the Slovenian health care system. Most will provide treatment for the following conditions: heart and circulatory diseases, rheumatic diseases, injuries to the locomotive system, diseases of the digestive system, metabolic diseases, gynaecological disorders, kidney and urinary tractÿdiseases, neurological diseases, skin diseases, neurotic disorders, respiratory ailments, oral and dental diseases and eye diseases. To find out the details on who offers what, check out the website www.terme-giz.si. The popularity of spas, therefore, probably comes from that fact that they can be either an actual health resort or just a holiday destination. However, this can sometimes be a problem, especially during holidays or at weekends, when carloads of families with countless children turn up. It can become so crowded that it is difficult to move, not to mention swim or toboggan.