Dear Colleagues and Partners of Slovenian Tourism.
I am very pleased that Slovenia is again hosting ESPA, the European Natural Spa & Wellness Congress. The congress and the SPA-CE trade show accompanying it were previously announced for 2020, but were rescheduled due to the pandemic. We hope that this year’s trade show and the congress will host as many participants as possible who will be able to meet in person once again, as personal contact in tourism cannot be replaced by technology, no matter how sophisticated and excellent.
The ESPA Congress is a unique opportunity for knowledge transfer and experience exchange in the field of the spa and wellness industry. The provision of high-quality knowledge and suitable competence is vital for tourism recovery. The congress, which represents an important business event of the spa and wellness industry, will take place under a title that adequately conveys the key message of Slovenian tourism and the health and well-being product: THINK GREEN – BE ACTIVE – STAY HEALTHY. In this day and age, the title constitutes further relevance.
The 12th SPA-CE EXPERIENCE, the B2B workshop for spa & wellness tourism, will also take place simultaneously and will provide an opportunity to enhance the existing, and establish new, business contacts. The workshop is of great importance for Slovenian tourism because potential clients can learn first-hand about the rich Slovenian wellness and spa offer in one place. Slovenia has a long tradition of spa and health tourism and world-class experts for preserving and restoring health. If we add to this the unique mineral water that serves as the basis for the development and promotion of the spa offer, we obtain one of the key competitive advantages of our country as a tourist destination, which is particularly highlighted in the activities of the Slovenian Tourist Board. In Slovenian tourism, the spas traditionally represent one of the most significant tourist products that generate as much as one-third of all overnight stays, and the tradition of Slovenian tourism is for the most part based on the tradition of the spa offer.
Today, care for health and well-being is important more than ever. The awareness of the importance of health has further intensified during the epidemic. The significance of natural spas from the aspects of prevention, health preservation, and rehabilitation has grown. Slovenian spas have also adjusted to the new situation and offered new services/programmes for the rehabilitation of patients recovering from the COVID-19 disease.
I look forward to our meeting within the SPA-CE EXPERIENCE B2B workshop and the ESPA Congress.
Maja Pak, M.Sc.
Director of the Slovenian Tourist Board