Serbian Spas &

Resorts

Potential, state, possibilities, ...

1st Balkan Spa Summit, Albena – Bulgaria, 21. – 23.09.2011.

Vladan T. Vešković, Serbian Spas Association, Secretary General

First assembly of Serbian Spas Association

Vrnjačka Banja Spa, 12. June 1970.

“Politika”, 1969.

„Work of our future association and whole

our idea will depend on us in the first

place, or of interests of the members and

incentives which we would give to this

association. Like in every job, if we agree

what our association should do, if we

create good working conditions, if we

choose right people, which will, with their

abbilities and enthusiasm, commit to work,

to lead this association, results certainly

will not fail.“

Bata Vuković

First president of Serbian Spas Association

Prof. Budimir Filipović, “Mineralne vode Srbije”, 2003.

Thermal resources of Serbia

Serbia have more then 500

springs of mineral, thermal

and thermomineral water.

This extraordinary fortune

is located throughout whole

country, but the most of

them are in the Central

Serbia.

From this number, about 250 springs

are capped, but just 35 spas are

urbanized.

Koviljača Spa

Ribarska Spa

Architectural plan of Vrnjacka Spa, 1931.

Vrnjačka Banja

Spa

Vrnjačka Banja Spa

Koviljača Spa

Ribarska banja Spa

Medical indication

◼ The most of Serbian spas have medical indication for rheumatism

and post – surgical condition on the loco – motor device. Rest of

indications (Other indications) are: injuries of peripheral and

central nervous system, diabetes, peripheral blood vessels,

sterility i gynecological diseases, metabolic diseases (thyroid

(gland)), lung diseases and blood diseases.

There are some rare phenomenon in our spas.

◼ Water temperature of Vranjska Spa’s spring has 110 C

◼ geyser in Sijarinska Spa is one of the few in Europe and

◼ Bujanovacka Spa has three natural healing factors at one place: water, mud and CO2

◼ There is also a salt lake in Rusanda Spa.

As far as accomodation facilities, 55% of all beds in Serbia are in spas and climatic places. From 64.025 beds in spas, 7.300 are in health rehabilitation institutions, 33.000 in hotels and about 23.000 beds in private accomodation. Of couse, these are official statistic data. We count that 40% of beds are in „gray zone“ or „not registered“.

Accomodation facilities

◼ Health institutions in spas are in property of the state, within Ministry of Health.

◼ Privatization in spas has not yet been conducted, but we hope that will stand, while the state come up with the idea (vision) how to successfully solve it. This come up with the fact that privatization in Serbia was not successful, even in spas was catastrophic – 90% of privatized accomodation facilities are now out of work, or work with reduced capacity.

◼ From 7.300 beds in heath intitutions for rehabilitation, about 3.200 (50%) is reserved for free rehabilitation. In our spas, pacients go to the spa with doctor’s referral, so they do not pay for accomodation and therapy.

Non – medical advatnages of Serbian spas

◼ preserved natural environment,

◼ healthy food and imaginative cousine,

◼ rich cultural – hisoric heritage and

◼ great geographical position

Medical advatnages of Serbian spas

◼ balneological tradition for 200 years,

◼ highly educated medical stuff,

◼ modern therapeutic and diagnostical equipment ,and

◼ low cost of traditonal and modern medical treatments.

Serbian Spas problems

◼ Communication and utility infrastructure.

◼ Additional (non – medical) content,

◼ relationship between local government and health institutions and,

◼ lack of state’s clear vision about further spa development

Suggestions for solving problems in spas

◼ finishing the Spa Strategy,

◼ finishing high – quality Spa law,

◼ successful privatization of hotel – touristic companies in spas, and

◼ finishing law on public and private partnership (PPP).