Emphasis on Spa and Wellness Tourism in Bulgaria

BNR,

Hundreds of mineral springs known for their curative effect since ancient times; modern tourist standards, healthy climate and a wide range of rehabilitation treatment procedures are on the visiting card of the ever more popular in this country spa and wellness tourism.

The development of this profitable branch was discussed by Bulgarian and foreign experts during a special seminar organized by the State Agency on Tourism /SAT/ under the title “Spa and Wellness Tourism in the Countries of the Central European Initiative”. The event was held within the framework of Bulgaria’s presidency of the Central European Initiative /CEI/ uniting 18 countries in this part of Europe. Besides Sofia, which has been known from antiquity for its curative mineral springs, the attendants in the seminar are also to visit the renowned balneological resorts of Kyustendil, Velingrad, Hissar as well as the newly opened luxury spa center Katarino near the Bansko ski resort in the Pirin Mountain. There they will meet representatives of local authorities to discuss positive practices in the sector. “This type of tourist offer is not new for our country because balneology and the treatment through curative water in Bulgaria dates back to thousands of years ago” said Stanislav Novakov, Tourism State Agency Deputy Chairman said and added:

“Practically very few countries of the world dispose of modern balneological centers that have been built on sites that have existed thousands of years ago. This is the case with Hissar and Kyustendil, whose spa centers have been built upon the cure houses of Roman times. Besides we have developed in our country certain original therapies with curative mud, various medicinal herbs and massage. These methods are to be presented to the participants in the seminar upon their visits to Hissar and Kyustendil, where they have been successfully applied.”
Aromatherapy, energizing procedures using honey, tallasso-therapy, milk and chocolate baths and other relaxing and wellness methods attract a growing number of visitors to our spa centers. Recreation programmes are accompanied by sports, sunbathing and walks in nature. “In Bulgaria over 150 thousand people annually use this service. On the other hand spa and wellness tourism have still a great potential in this country”, Mr. Novakov maintains.
“Spa procedures and the big investments made in latter years in resorts like Velingrad, Kyustendil, Hissar and around Bansko attract mainly Bulgarian tourists. These places, however, also welcome many foreign guests who live and work in Bulgaria. In latter years the Russian market discovered the advantages of investments made in this sector and the number of guests from Russia has drastically increased. The development of spa and balneological tourism is among our priorities and at the moment the State Tourist Agency is working in cooperation with the Healthcare Ministry for the creation of a programme for attracting foreign guests from the EU, who would come to Bulgaria for the treatment of a wide range of diseases and will be taken care of in Bulgaria’s spa centers.”