Balgarianovinite.com Tourism sector representatives, SPA and wellness businesses discussed the main challenges facing climate health resorts and staff training for climatotherapy resorts during the Fifth National Health Tourism Conference, held in Pamporovo on June 19 and 20. The conference was organized by the Municipality of Chepelare in partnership with the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and SPA Tourism and Pamporovo AD.
At the opening of the conference on Friday, Tourism Minister Ilin Dimitrov said the Government’s goal is to develop Bulgaria as a four-season tourism destination, with health tourism and climate health resorts among its main priorities. He said Pamporovo is ready for the summer season, describing it as a safe destination and noting that the recent landslide has not affected tourism activities. Dimitrov said sustainable year-round tourism should build on Bulgaria’s winter resorts, climate therapy opportunities, clean air, mineral springs and qualified specialists, adding that work is under way at EU level to create a dedicated tourism budget that would open access to new funding opportunities. Dimitrov also said the initial slowdown in seaside tourism, caused mainly by fewer visitors from Germany and Romania, is being offset by easing geopolitical tensions and expected lower fuel prices, while the Ministry has launched promotional campaigns targeting nearby markets He also announced plans for a campaign involving internationally recognized Bulgarians as informal ambassadors of Bulgarian tourism abroad. Discussions have already been held with Eurovision winner Dara, he added.
Addressing SPA sector representatives on Saturday, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and SPA Tourism (BUBSPA), Tsvetina Ivanova, said that the link between business and education is being lost in some places. In her view, the Union could play an important role as a bridge between businesses and educational institutions. BUBSPA has more than 100 SPA and wellness hotels among its members and, at the same time, has cooperation agreements with the largest educational institutions training staff for the tourism sector. Ivanova proposed that efforts be united to create a professional job fair bringing together all educational institutions training staff for the sector and all business entities in health tourism, which, she said, are clearly experiencing an acute shortage of qualified professionals. Academics from the Vassil Levski National Sports Academy, the University of Forestry, Medical University- Varna and Burgas State University took part in a discussion on partnership between business and education in health tourism, training staff for climatotherapy resorts.
Assoc. Prof. Svetla Shopova from Burgas State University called on SPA sector representatives to expand paid internships and practical training, create clear career paths for young specialists, and offer more opportunities for professional development in Bulgaria. She said that investing in human capital is an investment in the future of Bulgarian health tourism. The academic community agreed that businesses in SPA, wellness and rehabilitation tourism should play a more active role in communication with the institutions training professionals in this field, she added. According to her, support through scholarship programmes for high-potential students could motivate them to stay and work in Bulgaria. She said that students, mainly those enrolled in master’s programmes in this field, do not have sufficient opportunities to gain practical experience in SPA and wellness centres. Creating conditions for paid internships by tourism employers could be a way to attract and retain staff, she said. In her words, businesses could involve experts from their facilities as guest lecturers and mentors in the educational process and take an active part in updating curricula in line with labour market needs.
Prof. Todorka Kostadinova said that Medical University- Varna launched the master’s programme Rehabilitation, Sea Treatment, Wellness and SPA in 2016. The programme combines topics and approaches related to health tourism, balneology and climatotherapy, she said. Kostadinova added that the programme earned Medical University -Varna an innovation in education award from the European Spas Association.
The conference also adopted a declaration identifying climatotherapy resorts as a priority segment of health tourism in Bulgaria. The document, issued on behalf of Chepelare Mayor Boran Hadzhiev, BUBSPA and Pamporovo AD, states a commitment to sustainable management of natural resources, environmental protection, coordinated action and long-term partnership to promote Bulgaria as a competitive international climatotherapy destination. Health Tourism Conference in Pamporovo Discusses Climate Health Resorts, Staff Training, Four-Season Tourism 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-06-20 13:04:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
