Winner in the category Innovative SPA Concept
- Ms. Tsvetanova, congratulations! GRIFID Hotels is the big winner in the “Innovative SPA Concept” category of the European Spa Association’s Innovation Awards for 2024. What do you think was the main factor that led the jury to award the program with the highest scores in the category?
The main factor that helped GRIFID Hotels to be recognized in the “Innovative SPA Concept” category is our approach to the integration of new technologies, personalized procedures, authenticity and sustainability in the “360° Concept” of the Medical SPA Centre in Encanto Beach. The goal of the concept is to offer a comprehensive approach to well-being tailored for demanding guests who have adopted a healthy lifestyle for their daily lives or are looking for their way to a healthier lifestyle. The variety of therapies ensures that every guest gets a personalized, holistic experience.
Of course, innovations in the wellness and SPA sphere, specialized therapies and the integration of environmentally friendly and natural practices and products, the combination of traditional methods with modern scientific approaches, along with the focus on the well-being and health of clients, is also a key factor for the successful presentation of the program.
Our exclusive program is DETOX, available only for adults. It starts with an individual consultation with an expert nutritionist who assesses the guest’s health goals and performs a comprehensive analysis of body composition, including fat, muscle, and bone mass. Based on these data, a carefully selected detox menu is prepared to help remove toxins, rejuvenate energy levels and support weight control. The program is individually tailored to the guest’s needs, and is always a unique combination of:
– healthy eating in a special à la carte restaurant following the concept of Locavore R70. Most products used in the menu are at a distance of max. 70 km from us.
– Detoxifying daily procedures: hydrotherapy with Unbescheiden Bath Tub Experience, applications with curative local Black Sea mud, detoxifying therapies with seaweed, as well as colonohydrotherapy of the colon prescribed after medical judgement, further intensify the process of cleansing the body.
– A variety of specialized physical activities
– Wellness therapies with local organic essential oils, rose water and innovative CO2 extracts of Bulgarian rose Rosa Damascena, lavender essential oil, as well as local healing mud and organic cosmetics.
– Use of cosmetics with fragrances derived from plants grown in local gardens and harmonized with their natural dynamics or based on wild plants harvested from clean natural areas.
– Special care for the leisure of the guests in the program – “soft” animation, professional evening shows, a library with a menu for board games and magazines for a healthy lifestyle.
- Bulgaria is among the leading SPA destinations in Europe, and your company is a benchmark in the tourism industry. Please present your opportunities in the SPA sector as a base, services and staff?
We offer a range of health-care options with Wellness Therapies, which are designed to provide our clients with relaxation, prevention, and recovery opportunities. Soothing luxurious setting with panoramic sea views, MEDI SPA centre with an area of 2300 m2, on 4 thematic floors, with 32 therapy cabinets, a healthy restaurant with an emphasis on local cuisine, unlimited access to saunas, steam bath, heated and aquatonic pool, Kneipp Trail, professionally equipped with Technogym Kinesis Serie fitness centre with panoramic sea views, in addition to
luxury accommodation, access to an infinity pool, a private beach, daily sports activities, authentic yoga classes, sports programs with an instructor, evening performances and social contacts. And all with attention to small details for the guests’ comfort and needs.
We strive to adapt our services to be comprehensive and broad-spectrum. With a team of young, ambitious, and academically skilled professionals, we’re developing treatment programs and packages for both guests who have made health care a way of life and those who are feeling the need to take care of themselves for the first time.
Whether our exclusive Detox program or the specialized physiotherapy and rehabilitation programs suitable for diseases of the musculoskeletal system, nervous system and various skin diseases is selected, we ensure that our team of specialists will ensure that each guest receives attention, a professionally provided overall experience.
Individual packages including physical activities, luxurious wellness, and therapeutic treatments are available for guests looking for a refined but brief wellness experience.
- What is your perspective on the future of SPA and health tourism in Europe and in your country? Are there areas where you see potential for improvement and innovation?
The outlook for the future Health and SPA tourism in Europe and Bulgaria looks promising, especially in the era of growing interest in healthy eating, balanced lifestyles, prevention and alternative therapies.
Nowadays, more and more people realize the importance of physical and mental health, and health and SPA tourism offer a number of opportunities in this direction.
Combining medical treatments such as physiotherapy with traditional SPA and wellness services is becoming increasingly popular which can attract new target groups of clients.
Of course, something can always be improved – for example:
- medical and health tourism to receive support at the state level by providing vouchers for health services to the population, thus we will have a healthy and welfare-conscious nation;
- better advertising strategies to attract international tourists;
- tailoring services to clients’ needs, including stress management programs, nutritional programs, and mental health services.
- Regular training of highly qualified specialists working in the sector to provide high quality services is also important.
Bulgaria, with its natural resources, has the opportunity to establish itself as a leading destination for health and SPA tourism in Europe.
According to analyses of trends, health and SPA tourism in Bulgaria and Europe shows significant potential for upgrading and innovation. The focus on sustainability, adapting offerings to customer demand and needs can lead to increased competitiveness and attractiveness of the sector.
- Over the years, the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and SPA Tourism has worked together with representatives of the business, the state, the academic community and consumers to develop the industry at the national level. Did this help increase base occupancy, upgrade the product and educate consumers about services in the Balneological and SPA sector?
This cooperation leads to a number of positive results for the industry, especially for us as a seasonal site and our striving to fill the wings for the season, and why not a request for year-round engagement of the team of professionals.
The development of Balneological and SPA tourism, the implementation of new strategies, the development of services that are attractive to guests, leads to an increase in the tourist flow and, accordingly, an increase in employment.
The acquired knowledge and experience of the academic community and business, the development of new therapies and work protocols, help to improve and upgrade the services and packages offered.
Information campaigns aimed at raising consumer awareness about the benefits, services and opportunities offered by the Balneological and SPA sector are increasing the interest. Many of our guests also have experience from centres abroad and remain fascinated by the modern condition of the base and the professional abilities of the therapists on site.
Under the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and Spa Tourism and the German Bulgarian Chamber of Industry, leading health funds from Germany visited MEDI SPA Centre Encanto Beach and guaranteed the quality of the rehabilitation services received by us with the conclusion of contracts. Thus, already insured German guests can reimburse the costs of procedures and therapies performed in our centre for problems with the musculoskeletal system, skin or respiratory problems.
The main Austrian insurers included a wellness holiday in several GRIFID hotels, in their additional health insurances for better quality of life and health prevention. Due to the high quality of our product from next year, we are deepening our work with them in the direction of a specialized Detox program.
We are happy that guests who have used their Austrian holiday and reimbursement insurance at GRIFID hotels want to come again next year, already as our direct guests, convinced of the quality of the product we offer.
These successes would not have been possible without the great platform and authority of the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and SPA Tourism.
In conclusion, I can say that such multilateral cooperation is essential for the successful development of Balneological and SPA tourism in Bulgaria.
- The awards show innovators that they have the vision and are going in the right direction. Will the recognition from ESPA stimulate you to new achievements and what does the award mean to you?
The recognition from ESPA is a significant award of a very high level, which not only confirms the success of our work, but also serves as an inspiration for future achievements. This recognition shows that we are on the right track and that our vision and efforts have been appreciated by leading industry experts.
The award is not only a reflection of our ongoing successes, but also a recognition, incentive and guarantee of future active work with the team to maintain and build on what has been achieved. The desire to create unique experiences for our guests is a major driver for us. After receiving the award, we are even more motivated and committed to our ambitions and goals, striving to surpass our own achievements.
- The annual congress of the European SPA Association in Druskininkai (Lithuania) is already in the past. We witnessed extremely interesting and useful presentations. Please rate the hosts and organizers of the event, which is a significant part of the global tourism calendar?
I am extremely happy that I was part of this event – a location that adds additional value, due to the fact that it is world famous for its natural resources and SPA traditions in an impeccably organized SPA resort and city; high-level presenters and lecturers, discussed current topics that excite and engage specialists in the field of MEDI SPA, thalasso and wellness centres, useful but also informative, in terms of showing trends and innovations in the field of SPA and wellness tourism. A place for new contacts with leading specialists in different fields – academic, medical, SPA and wellness sector, tour operators, suppliers, etc.
The annual congress of the European SPA Association in Lithuania leaves a strong impression. Hosts and organizers have worked hard to make it a professional and inspiring event, and I want to thank them for that.
Interview prepared by Ruslan Yordanov