site.btaIf Bulgaria Recognizes Health Tourism as National Priority, We Can Realize Our Potential, Says Newly-Elected ESPA President Katsarova

Bulgaria’s Siyka Katsarova – President of the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and SPA Tourism (BUBSPA) and newly-elected President of the European Spas Association (ESPA), told BTA that Bulgaria’s election to lead ESPA is the result of teamwork within BUBSPA and the organization’s active involvement in ESPA’s work. She recalled that BUBSPA was established nearly 20 years ago and became a member of ESPA in 2007 in the Estonian resort of Parnu.

“Over the years, we have followed a clear plan – that Bulgaria should take its rightful place on the map of European health destinations as a competitive player, building on our Roman-era traditions, our expertise in balneology, and the billions in new investments made in the sector,” Katsarova said. She noted that Bulgaria now boasts an exceptionally high-quality infrastructure, excellent service standards, and strong university programmes that train professionals for this sustainable form of tourism – health tourism, which allows destinations to operate year-round.

“If Bulgaria recognizes tourism, and especially health tourism, as a national priority as Croatia has done, we have every chance to make the most of the opportunity that comes with my ESPA presidency,” Katsarova said, commenting on Bulgaria’s potential to become a more visible destination for this segment following her election. She expressed gratitude to Bulgarian Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh for his letter of support to the ESPA Board endorsing her candidacy, and highlighted the good cooperation between BUBSPA, previous tourism ministers, and the Ministry of Health. Katsarova also acknowledged European Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva’s congratulatory message on ESPA’s 30th anniversary, emphasizing the importance of prevention for Europe.

“For me, that is a signal that we must work purposefully and, together with the state, decide whether health tourism is a true national priority,” Katsarova said, stressing its benefits – extending the tourist season, creating year-round employment, and boosting the economies of towns and regions offering such opportunities.

Among her main goals as ESPA President, Katsarova said she will focus on positioning ESPA as a key partner of the European Commission in the areas of health and tourism, securing participation in EU projects related to research, innovation, and digitalization in health tourism. She also underscored the need to continue investing in prevention, prophylaxis, and rehabilitation programmes for European citizens, as these save future healthcare costs.

Katsarova pointed out that Bulgaria has one of the highest shares, 87%, of its population that has not used health insurance benefits for preventive programmes. She noted that the National Social Security Institute’s (NSSI) current preventive programme covers only about 50,000 employed individuals. To address this, she proposed including prevention programmes in the Ministry of Health’s policies starting 2026, with one of the ideas being targeted vouchers for preventive care through spa medicine. Another approach could involve integrating certified medical and spa centres into the NSSI’s programmes.

Earlier on Wednesday, Siyka Katsarova was elected ESPA President on Wednesday, succeeding Thierry Dubois on the opening day of the European Spas & Balneology Congress 2025. The forum, organized by ESPA in partnership with Estonia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Industry, will continue on Thursday. BTA is a media partner of the event.