On the initiative of the Slovenian Spas Association and of wellness centres, Ljubljana and different Slovenian spas hosted in year 2009 the first Exhibition of Spa and Wellness Tourism in Central Europe.
In addition to Slovenian providers of spa and wellness services, the organisers also invited representatives of Italian, Austrian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian and Montenegrin thermal spas. The Central European pool is rich in thermal water and spa tourism and a joint presentation of the region’s representatives is more than sensible.
For the first time, this event combined the region’s offer in one place, presenting a unified offer of spa and wellness tourism. This presentation enabled hosted representatives of DMCs, travel organisers and incentive trips organisers and representatives of insurance houses and healthcare institutions to get acquainted with the offer of this broader destination all in one place.
In 2010 SPA-CE will take place for the second time in Ljubljana from 7th to 10th of October. The interest for presentation of spa and health centres from invited countries is this year even bigger.
As this is a B2B event, exhibitors and visitors will again be able to arrange meetings up to a month before the actual event by using an appropriate online application that will increase their successful presence at the exhibition even more.
Visitors will also have the possibility of making their visit even more effective by participating in study trips, which will provide even more insight into the offer of the region's spa tourism. The rich programme accompanying the exhibition will include presentations of the region’s spa tourism, good practice examples and an active exchange of experiences, trends and visions.
The exhibition will take place in Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, which is located at the heart of Central Europe, thus representing an ideal meeting and starting point. At the time of the SPA-CE Exhibition and in the same facility, Ljubljana will also host the international Nature and Health fair, showcasing the offer of spa tourism and wellness services providers to the professional and general public.
The organisers of the SPA-CE Trade show are pleased with the initial response from all interested parties and their applications. Even though this is a new business and sales event, the interest from exhibitors and hosted buyers surpassed the organisers’ initial expectations. This clearly indicates that the idea of combining the specialised offer of Central European destinations was the right one.
By Igor Fesyukov