Anke Sponer is working and lecturing in the area of (health) tourism management at the European Campus Rottal-Inn, the international faculty of the Deggendorf Institute of Technology. Anke is global networker, speaker and an expert for innovative market strategies, communication and tourism initiatives. Her vision is to further evaluate future-proof and evidence-based approaches to enable people to live healthier and longer lives. That´s why...

Patrick Carpentier is Professor Emeritus of Vascular Medicine at the Grenoble - Alpes University in France, past-president of the European Society of Vascular Medicine and the International Union of Angiology, and currently president of the Medical Commission of ESPA. At the European Spas & Balneology Congress 2025 in Haapsalu, she will participate in the panel discussion “Europe’s Hidden Healthcare Power. Why Spas Belong in the Future...

Dr. Lorena Vela IglesiasMD, PhD in Medicine and Specialist in Medical Hydrology at Complutense University of Madrid, where she is Professor and Co-Director of the Research Group on Medical Hydrology. She has participated in over ten European and international research projects and authored scientific articles, books, and book chapters. With broad clinical experience in health resorts in Spain, France, and Argentina, she is an...

Sara Vandamme is a postdoctoral researcher at the Blue Growth Research Lab at Ghent University, where she explores the intersections between ocean environments and human health. Her work focuses on the unique composition of sea air and its potential health benefits, as well as the stress-reducing effects of coastal landscapes. She coordinates interdisciplinary networks and initiatives that foster social innovation in the blue economy. At...

Presented by Thorleikur Jóhannsson, VERKIS Iceland, and Markos Danas, Vice-President, European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA, advisory partner of GreenSPAS). Climate Resilience and Energy Efficiency in Thermal Spa Regions.Strategies for supporting greener, more resilient spa cities and rural destinations, including innovative geothermal solutions from Iceland and the Interreg Europe “GreenSPAS” project on climate change adaptation policies in European spa regions.

Claudia Wagner is a managing director of Fit Reisen. She is responsible for the area’s product, product development as well as hotel purchasing and -consulting at the Fit Reisen headquarters in Frankfurt am Main.  Since 1982, the graduate business economist of tourism (FH) accompanies and shapes the success story of the company significantly.  Due to her expertise in the field of healthy travel in Europe,...

Claude-Eugène Bouvier is a Board Member of the European Spas Association, a Member of the French College of Health Economists, and the former General Secretary of the French Spas Association. At the European Spas & Balneology Congress 2025 in Haapsalu, she will participate in the panel discussion “Europe’s Hidden Healthcare Power. Why Spas Belong in the Future of Public Health?”

Dr. Meglena Plugtschieva is the Ambassador of BUBSPA. She has served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to Montenegro, to the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein, and to the Federal Republic of Germany. Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Plugtschieva has also held the positions of Deputy Prime Minister and Member of Parliament of the Republic of Bulgaria. In...

Alina Huseynli is the Director and Board Member of the Institute of Spa and Balneology. She is the author of the flagship project “Spa Research Centre”, funded by the EU’s Just Transition Fund, which has established a unique multidisciplinary research platform for medical, environmental, and socio-economic aspects of spa care. With a strong background in environmental studies and healthcare management, she is also completing...

Dr. sc. ing. Linda Lancere is a digital rehabilitation expert, physcial therapist and researcher at the Virtual and Augmented Reality Laboratory of the Institute of Sociotechnical Systems Engineering at ViA - Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences. Her topic addresses how virtual reality solutions for mental and physical health — from burnout support to rehabilitation — face specific challenges during introduction, testing, and integration. These challenges often arise...