Romania Planning Balneary and Medical Tourism Conference

Romania is to team up with the World Tourism Organization (WTO) in order to boost its travel credentials, staging a unique International Conference on Balneary and Medical Tourism in the country. The decision to work with the WTO was announced by Regional Development and Tourism Minister Cristian Petrescu, who claimed that Romania should act to reclaim its rightful place as one of the world’s top destinations for balneary and health care tourism.

Romania planning conference on medical tourism© CofkoCof - Fotolia.com

Petrescu outlined the proposed conference in the following comments, reported by Act Media:

‘We had a meeting with the WTO Secretary-General, Mr. Taleb Rifai, following which I can announce that Romania will hold this fall, together with the World Tourism Organization, an international conference on medical and balneary tourism.”

“It is a very important event to which the greatest experts in the field worldwide are invited. We will mark, as such, the re-launch of balneary tourism in Romania and we hope that, with this occasion, Romania will be reintroduced in the top destinations of health care tourism.”

As a medical tourism destination, Romania is sadly unknown to much of the world, despite offering superb facilities for all manner of natural treatments, such as mud baths, thermal water baths, mineral baths and asthma therapy in natural salt caves.

Romanis is a leading international destination for natural spa treatments © Valua Vitaly - Fotolia.com

In addition to its first class natural health treatments, Romania has made steady progress in the development of its medical facilities, and these days offers a comprehensive range of medical treatments, services and surgeries at its private hospitals and clinics. Cosmetic surgery, plastic surgery, dental treatments, spa and wellness are all available in Romania at a fraction of the price in most Western European countries. For foreigners, this means they can enjoy the benefits of excellent healthcare at the lowest possible price, while enjoying a holiday in one of Eastern Europe’s most spectacular destinations at the same time.

Act Media reported that the initiative was agreed upon following talks by Mr. Petrescu and Mr. Rifai at the recent International Tourism Fair in Berlin, of which Romania is an active participant. The WTO intends to take an active role in the planning and preparations for the event, with Mr. Rifai announcing that he has already invited Mr. Petrescu to the organization’s headquarters in Madrid to discuss the event in more detail. Mr. Rifai added that officials from the Spanish government would also be involved in the planning.

Foreign tourists can enjoy many low-cost medical procedures in Romania © Ambrophoto - Fotolia.com

As an indicator of possible future initiatives from Romania, it was reported that Mr. Petrescu also held several meetings with officials from some of the world’s biggest tour operators, including the German operators TUI, ITS, DerTour and Frosch Touristik International, together with other international tour operators.