site.btaForeigners Increasingly Recognizing Benefits of Spa Tourism in Bulgaria, Says St. George Hotel Medical Spa Manager
Foreigners are increasingly recognizing the benefits of spa tourism in our country, Anton Trapkov, manager of St. George Medical SPA Hotel in Pomorie and member of the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and Spa Tourism, told BTA.
He added that Bulgarians living abroad also specifically choose their home country for preventive care and recovery and even organize such stays for their loved ones.
Trapkov said that foreign visitors and Bulgarians living abroad are well-informed and come with the clear goal to seek treatments and therapeutic benefits, not only a vacation. Bulgarian tourists, however, often don't realize the potential of what their country has to offer, he added.
One of the main challenges to the development of health tourism is low awareness and lack of information, hotel management said. Targeted policies to promote preventive care and therapeutic procedures both domestically and abroad are needed, as there is significant potential for attracting more tourists from Romania and Turkiye, Trapkov added.
Pomorie must continue to rely on its natural resources, especially the estuarine mud and lye, and salt extracted from Lake Pomorie, the manager said.
A key factor in the development of the hotel and the sector is combining traditional regional therapies using mud and lye with professional physical therapy and medical supervision. This approach gives the best results in the treatment and prevention of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, the peripheral nervous system, and the skin.
Trapkov also highlighted other important issues related to national and local policy in the sector. He said that more investment in public infrastructure is needed in some areas, and government decisions affecting the industry must be consistent and predictable. Private hotels’ access to financing through the health system should be considered, as currently hotel medical spa facilities do not work with the National Health Insurance Fund, which limits opportunities for development, he added.
BTA presents news from certified spa, wellness, and medical spa centres in Bulgaria in its BG SPA: Salus per aquam, Health Through Water feature. Their total number exceeds 200. The initiative, organized in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and SPA Tourism, is linked to Europe's leading health tourism event, the HEALTHXCHANGE SUMMIT, which will be held from May 11 to 13, 2026, in Varna, Sts. Constantine and Helena, Golden Sands, and Albena. BTA will be the event's main media partner.
/NZ, VE/
Additional
news.modal.image.header
news.modal.image.text
news.modal.download.header
news.modal.download.text
news.modal.header
news.modal.text