site.btaUPDATED Hisarya Joins Prestigious European Association, Boosting Bulgaria’s Spa Tourism Profile

Bulgaria has been placed for the first time on the map of European historic thermal towns with Hisarya’s membership in the European specialized association, Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh said on Tuesday at the BTA National Press Club in Sofia. He spoke to journalists, together with Hisarya Municipality Mayor Iva Valcheva and BTA Director General Kiril Valchev.

"After much work, effort, and joint endeavours with the Tourism Ministry, a Bulgarian town is now a member of the European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA)," Borshosh said. He added that the Association is one of the most authoritative in the world and that membership requirements are numerous. He said he was pleased that, through the persistent work of both the Mayor and the Municipality, the Bulgarian town managed to meet all criteria, pass all types of selections, and after thorough verification by the delegation of the European Association, has become an active member.

"This is of great importance to us, especially in the field of spa tourism combined with heritage tourism. Bulgaria can and should be a leading factor in global tourism, and with this membership, I believe we are moving in the right direction," Borshosh said.

He added that the Ministry’s strategic goal from the very beginning has been to adequately cooperate with the regions. “Mayors and municipalities are the ones who actually implement local tourism policies and are the answer to how Bulgarian tourism can grow, attract more foreign tourists, but also how to create a product that is attractive for domestic tourism, which we currently see is growing.” He said that the town and the municipality of Hisarya are among the leading destinations for both foreign and Bulgarian tourists.

The Minister added that Hisarya will receive support from the Ministry for joint activities with the EHTTA to showcase Bulgaria as one of the important and significant destinations for spa and heritage tourism. "We have long said that tourism is not just a means to fill the state treasury; it is also for building the overall image of the country. A good tourism policy is built jointly by national media, local authorities, and the State," Borshosh added.

Hisarya Mayor Valcheva said that the town has its own history and deserves to be on the map of European historical thermal towns. "Hisarya deserves it, Bulgaria deserves it," she added. She recalled that in 1882, the government of Eastern Rumelia declared the city the first balneotherapy resort. "But what is special here is that it shows the first rules for using the healing properties of water," commented Valcheva. She pointed out that the first studies of the springs in Hisary date back to those years, noting that this was the main reason for the city to become a member of the EHTTA.

The Tourism Minister also said that a platform is being developed by the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) to present Bulgarian wine tourism. Next week its representatives will be able to exchange best practices with world leaders, he added, referring to the upcoming 9th UN Global Conference on Wine Tourism, which will be hosted in Plovdiv on October 6 and 7, which is expected to gather representatives from 160 countries.

"The biggest names in wine tourism in the world will be here, and hosting this event is of exceptional importance to us," the Minister said, adding that the guests of the forum will be acquainted with places with developed wine tourism, one of the selected locations being Starosel, a town in the Municipality of Hisarya. "In addition to everything we do for the regions, we present them to the biggest international media, to bloggers, influencers, and influential people in the world of wine tourism," Borshosh said.

Tourism Minister Borshosh, European Historic Thermal Towns Association Chair Hans Hornik and Hisarya Mayor Valcheva met in July to discuss the possibilities and conditions for the town's membership in EHTTA.

Established in 2009 in Brussels, EHTTA unites 50 members from 18 European countries, including 37 municipalities with a proven spa tradition and 13 associate members. The association is officially recognized by the Council of Europe with its cultural routes and has been an affiliated member of the World Tourism Organization since 2019. Its main mission is to promote, protect and develop the cultural and thermal heritage of Europe.

During the 12th Annual Congress of the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and SPA Tourism at the beginning of September, Mayor Valcheva announced that Hisarya is the first Bulgarian town to join the EHTTA. At the congress, Valcheva recalled that Hisarya is the oldest balneological resort in Bulgaria, it was declared a spa resort in 1882. The town has developed as a resort with its archaeological monuments and thermal tradition dating back to Roman times, with its healing springs and the properties of its mineral water.