SPA CONGRESS

The 3rd Spa Congress with the International Participation, organized by the Serbian Spas and Resorts Association, took place on May 17 - 18, 2011, in Vrnjačka Spa. In the period of a very serious transition of Serbian spas, the privatization necessity, in order to reach European trends, standards and capacity filling, but also facing unsuccessful privatization examples and the relevant consequences. To the participants' satisfaction, the Congress varied between the worldwide good practice examples and the suggested development strategy in Serbia. Although not all spas expressed interest to learn something new and grow their bussines, the Congress guests and lecturers: Professor Dr. Kai Illing (The University of Applied Sciences, Bad Gleichenberg, Austria) with the themes Trends in the European Spa Industry and The Tool for a Fast Economic Progress in the Spa Industry, Mr. Miha Bratec (International Tourism Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia) with the theme - Affordable Tourism - Challenge for the Sustainable Tourism in Europe: Trends, Brands and the Best Practice, Mr. Klaus Grabler (Manova, Vienna, Austria) with the theme Successful Business under Assistance of the Hotel and Spa Benchmarking and Mr. Stanimir Stankov (President of Bulgarian Wellness and Spa Tourism Association) with the theme Possible Cooperation Trends of the Balkans Spa Associations, fulfilled the expectations of the present participants.
The second day was marked by the themes Serbian Tourism Development Strategy, Investments into the Serbian Spas and the Spa Law, under participation of the Support Team to the Implementation of the Serbian Tourism Development Strategy.
Although many participiants emphasized that they want to hear something new from the team, Mr. Janez Sirše, the Team Leader, said that "The most important thing is that we touched the existing and potential tourism product, an objective offer of the spas and resorts, investments and  investment project effects, formal/legal, financial, management and marketing matters".
On the round table on the Low of the Spas, in which participated Mr Stojan Arizanović, the Deputy Minister od Economy and Regional Development of the tourism sector, inspection, and Dr Olivera Krunić, Proffesor of Mining and Geology Faculty, Mr. Vladan Vešković, Secretary of the Serbian Spas and Resorts Association, said that "The objectives of the new Spa Law opened the right themes and action directions and they have already now traced the route for the Congress 2012."