Cluster of Health, Wellness and Spa Tourism Serbia, a new member of European Spas Association (ESPA), organized a very informative planned 9th CEIREGIONAL FORUM OF WELLNESS & SPA INDUSTRYin Vrnjačka Spa (October 17, 2018, Hotel Solaris), which upon proposal of Nataša Ranitović, President of the Cluster of Health, Wellness and Spa Tourism Serbia, became also (April 23, 2018) a member of the Association of Roman Thermal Spas of Europe.
The main topic of theForum, which was included by CEI in 2014 into its five best projects and was currently, for the ninth time, dealing in the tradition in the Wellness and Spa concepts, was How to create the authentic spa offer based upon cultural and historical heritage in the region, with the focus on the Roman and Ottoman spa culture. The Forum, attended also by Miroslav Knežević, State Secretary for Tourism of Serbia, gathered experts and professionals from medical, Wellness and SPA tourism from Serbia and the region, among them also Tobias Bielenstein (Germany, EuropeSpa Med & Wellness GmbH, Roman Thermal Spas of Europe), Michael Wallace (Hungary, Danubius Health Spa Resorts), Ioana Marian (Romania, Global Wellness Institute), Anamarija Pažin (Croatia, "Laurus Slow Spa"), Gurdal Boykurt (Turkey, Ministry of Tourism), Snežana Štetić (Srbija, The College of Tourism), Miroslava Taskova, (Bulgaria, Union of Balneology and Spa Tourism), Martin La Fontaine (Germany, IONTO Health&Beauty GmbH), Nata Ćirić (Srbija, Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications), as well as the participants from the National Tourism Organization of Serbia, spas Laktaši and Vrućice, Prolom and Vrnjačka Spa, Čigota Institute from Zlatibor, Hotel Izvor from Bukovička Spa Aranđelovac and other spas and institutions. In addition to the speaking on the basic topics, "Tourism Product based upon the Roman Spa Tradition" and "Tourism Product based upon the Ottoman Spa Tradition", good practice examples were mentioned, as well. The Workshop was also held upon the topic "Solutions and Strategies for Spa Operation Challenges".

Closing the Forum, Nataša Ranitović, President of the Cluster of Health, Wellness and Spa Tourism Serbia, highlighted "The Forum is a venue where skills and experiences are transferred and exchanged, the day for learning. This time we advised how to create the authentic spa offer, based upon the cultural and historical heritage in the region, with the focus on Roman and Ottoman spa culture and how to turn it into the brand, which attracts both the local and international guests".
Within the Forum, the Agreement of Cooperation was signed between the Cluster of Health, Wellness and Spa Tourism Serbia and Cluster of Health Tourism of the Republic of Srpska.