People woking in spa tourism definitely have no cause to complain, unlike the owners of our seaside resorts this summer. Bulgarian spa resorts enjoy great interest, as autumn is the most profitable season for them. This is the time of year when they welcome the greatest number of guests, people eager to get rid of any stress or pain with the help of different spa practices, programs, therapies etc.

Bulgarians treat themselves to spa in the autumn or spring, when they are not tempted by the sea and its sun-bathed beaches. Foreigners on the other hand come here at all times, as the services they receive are immaculate and meet all international standards, but at far lower prices. Guests from Russia, Greece, Macedonia, Romania and Israel appear to be the biggest fans of our spa resorts. Bulgaria’s advantage is the rich diversity of its mineral springs - in Europe it is second only to Iceland. To say nothing of their healing properties, highly appreciated as far back as the times of the Roman empire in our lands - Romans would build their towns right next to the springs. That is why most of our spa resorts are to be found close to historical remains from Antiquity. Hissar, Kyustendil, Sandanski and, lately, the village of Chiflik are famous spa vacation destinations, all of them standing in the immediate proximity of the ruins of Roman fortresses.

“I go to the most prestigious spa centers in the world and then implement the latest trends in my own hotel,” says the owner of one such spot in Velingrad. A few years ago the small Rhodope town was deservedly given the title of spa capital of the Balkans by the International Hotel & Restaurant Association. At the same time local entrepreneurs are not resting on the laurels but have been working hard to the expand their businesses, update their facilities and diversify their services 24/7.

The competition is cut-throat! That is why everyone has been endeavouring to offer more luxury and new programs. As ity is demand that determines supply, these entrepreneurs go for the typically Bulgarian services guest from abroad prefer.

“Everyone is familiar with the wonderful taste of Bulgarian yoghurt. We combine it with different procedures,” Nina Pehlivanova – a therapist at a local hotel is proud to say. “This is an enjoyable therapy, which makes the skin lighter, hydrates and restores it. Another one of our most popular therapies is named A Bulgarian Dream. It includes a massage with dried Rhodope herbs: thyme, chamomile, tutsan… Herbs that are really fragrant with added extract of rose oil. It is very relaxing, as the fragrance itself has an excellent restorative effect.”

Practically all spa hotels in Bulgaria offer procedures, based on the world famous rose oil. Dimitar Penev, a masseur at one of Chiflik spa hotels, says:

“The Bulgarian rose is usually very popular among foreigners. It is used in peeling, body masks, there are also special vials of essential rose oil… The rose contains vitamins, fragrances, it softens the skin. Furthermore, our Pomorie mud and lye are very much in demand and are famed for their unique healing properties. They are good for the skin, cure joints and the entire musculoskeletal system of the body.”

Hotel owners from the branch have recently started turning their attention spa and medical tourism. So, spa centers with modern medical facilities and teams of doctors with a foreign language proficiency have appeared. At the same time, it is the flight of the imagination and entrepreneurship that are still the motive powers, as unconventional  procedures have become all the rage. For instance, a specialty at one of the prestigious hotels in the town of Sandanski are the natural peat programs that do their magic on the musculoskeletal system. In Hissar they rely mainly on their long years of experience in spa and the incredible variety of procedures offered by local centers and hotels. Small wonder then that vacancies are hard to come by on weekends here. Unfortunately, the attempts to attract guests from other EU countries have not been successful, due perhaps to the political and economic instability and the poor cross-border advertising of Bulgarian tourism…

English version: Zhivko Stanchev

Photos: Veneta Nikolova

This article was made possible with the support of the Ministry of the Economy and Energy project "Communication campaign for promoting domestic tourism in Bulgaria".