Georgi Mitsov, Chief Project Manager of Petrol Holding: Balneology tourism is our most important trump-card

The greatest issue is the lack of an integrated strategy and the insufficient advertising to promote it

At the end of 2007 Balneohotel Pomorie became the winner of Building of the Year National Contest organized by Stroitelstvo Gradat Weekly. The hotel, opened the same year, captivated the jury of the contest constituted by experts in construction, architecture, real estate, tourism and other business spheres, with its unique combination of sea recreation opportunities, sports facilities, rehabilitation and medical treatment, while it was also one of the pioneer projects developing balneology tourism in Bulgaria. Balneohotel Pomorie is a project of Petrol Holding designed by the bureau of arch. Vasil Makrelov, Interarch Arkitektkontor. The complex has been built by Naftex Engineering. Georgi Mitsov is the Chief Project Manager of Petrol Holding and Manager of Interhotel Bulgaria in Burgas. 
 
Mr. Mitsov, what opportunities does balneology create? Why did you decide to invest in a balneohotel?
- Mineral waters combined with medicinal mud and curative lye are unique Bulgarian natural resources. The pursuit of healthy lifestyle stimulates the development of balneology and healthcare tourism and defines our country as a favorite place for contemporary treatment and prophylactics of a number of disorders.
Balneology is perceived as a unifier of concepts like world resorts science with healthcare tourism, SPA and wellness. It gained popularity along with the popularization of the SPA culture.
Using this advantage and following the trends in the tourism market development we invested in this sector with the clear strategy that our strongest point was balneological and SPA tourism in combination with the medicinal and rehabilitation center and a sports base, including a modern football pitch and a gym.

Could balneology and SPA resorts replace the mass ski and sea tourism?
- Yes, definitely. Depending on the particular services they provide balneology and SPA resorts may successfully meet and satisfy the needs of customers visiting summer and winter resorts.
If it comes to our hotel, I would like to put an emphasis on the fact that this is not a typical sea hotel and there is currently no other project like it in Bulgaria as infrastructure and supply of services are concerned. Our product is unique as it is a mixture of balneology, SPA and wellness elements that are developed with premium equipment and owing to the unique natural resource - the world-famous medicinal firth mud.
The hotel is located between the coasts of the Salt Lake and the Black Sea and represents a matchless design of a hotel complex, medical, rehabilitation and wellness center, a football stadium and a gym. We successfully develop sea, business, balneology and SPA tourism.
The little jewel in the crown of our treatment complex is the balneology and SPA sector. We offer Finnish sauna, Russian bath, steam bath, Turkish bath, Ice room, Kneipp walk, shower tubs, treatment with sea water and water from the Salt Lake, the composition of which is similar to that of the Dead Sea. And all this is included in the price for the accommodation.
The medicinal mud section features 18 individual treatment rooms and two VIP ones, equipped with bathtubs. This section also has a lift to ensure disabled patients get trouble-free mud treatment.
We hope our clients will appreciate the premium services provided, luxury amenities, personal care, and we constantly take pains into achieving high quality.

What is your short-term forecast for the development of the SPA sector? What is the long run?
- Our plan is to win recognition on the Bulgarian, Russian and Western-European markets as a five-star hotel, which does not only provide medical services, programs and treatments but also SPA procedures and pleasant seaside experience. In the long term we aim to promote our hotel as a balneology, SPA and wellness destination by using the inseparable link between man and nature and integrating the 4 essential elements - air, land, water and fire. This is our future strategy.

What are the major setbacks for the SPA tourism development?
- The greatest issue is the lack of an integrated strategy to promote this type of tourism as well as the insufficient national advertising to present our country abroad. Bulgaria is still associated with a cheap destination. Other setbacks that the sector faces include lack of qualified and experienced staff and legal restrictions. In this aspect we count on the unified efforts of industry organizations and associations.

Read more:
Balneology in Bulgaria: unused opportunities
Dr. Silvia Paskaleva, expert in balneology: Quality of services is essential
Gems of Eastern Europe