Three ministers and one deputy minister will discuss together with representatives of business, municipalities, NGOs, and experts in the field of spa and wellness tourism what are the opportunities for the spa industry and how the innovation in the sector will support the development of the spa’s spa destinations. This will happen during the fourth congress of the Bulgarian Balneology and the Spa Union from 26th to 28th September in Kyustendil.
What are the novelties in the industry and how cultural and spa tourism can go hand in hand will be discussed by the Minister of Environment Neno Dimov, the Minister of Labor and Social Policy Biser Petkov, the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Nikolay Nankov, the Deputy Minister of Tourism Irena Georgieva, the Mayor of Kyustendil Petar Paunov, the President of the Union of Balneology and Spa Stefan Sharlopov, the chairman of the National Association of Municipalities in Bulgaria Eng. Daniel Panov, as well as The Chairman of the Executive Committee, Marketing and PR Manager of the European Spa Association Joao Barbosa.
The lecturers in the separate panels of the Congress will present different perspectives on the SPA industry as one of the most successful and specific types of tourism that unites natural and mineral resources, healthy eating, physical activity, spiritual practices for the sake of the strongest therapeutic effect on health , the philosophy and self-confidence of modern man.
Good teamwork with local authorities in the sphere of spa industry has begun to deliver, and apart from Bulgaria, Kyustendil is also known as a destination for the European spa map, since in 2016 the municipality won the EMPA Award for an Innovative Spa Destination. This was stated by Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Union of Balneology and Spa Mariana Dobreva. She stressed that the biggest problem with finding qualified stuff still remains in this sector, but said she was skeptical about the import of personnel. I believe that the bigger success is through the joint efforts of the business and the state to keep and stimulate Bulgarian professionals, Dobreva said. This can be done with even more active cooperation with the universities and raising the pay in the sector, she was categorical.
