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Benge and Sokolova have travelled more than 10,000 miles to try out sources of healing focused on natural elements for the book
Alla Sokolova and Sophie Benge, two industry friends, are collaborating on a ground breaking book that explores the culture of wellbeing in Eastern Europe.
Over the past 18 months, the pair have journeyed over 10,000 miles to uncover gems of knowledge and people of passion across 12 countries. They’ve assisted with the rose harvest in Bulgaria, rolled in snow in Estonia, slept down a salt mine in Poland, picked healing mushrooms from the hills of Serbia, been injected with gas in Czech Republic and bathed in naturally fizzy pools in Romania.
The book focuses primarily on natural elements as great sources of healing, which have also stood the test of time. Many treatments using mud or mineral waters, for example, have changed little over three centuries and are used today, just they always have been – to cure disease. Such potent approaches, Sokolova and Benge believe, can teach much to the global spa industry.
Healing Sources – Spas and Wellbeing from the Baltic to the Black Sea (working title) is due to be published in mid 2014 by Prestel.
Benge is a journalist from London and author of The Tropical Spa focusing on the South East Asian approach to wellness. Sokolova is co-founder and GM of Amber Spa Boutique Hotel in Latvia (see SB10/3 p56).
On their travels, they were accompanied by photographers and film makers Helen Abraham and Christian Banfield. As well as the book, the team are offering a library of over 10,000 images for sale, and advisory services, related to wellness in this part of Europe.
Details: www.thehealingsources.com
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Founded in 2014 by spa management expert Julie Bevilacqua, Spa Supply Solutions is a leader in spa p [more...]
AKT Group
AKT Group is the Franco–Italian parent company of SKYY, C.O.D.E. and AKTMe, operating as an integrat [more...]
Benge and Sokolova have travelled more than 10,000 miles to try out sources of healing focused on natural elements for the book
Alla Sokolova and Sophie Benge, two industry friends, are collaborating on a ground breaking book that explores the culture of wellbeing in Eastern Europe.
Over the past 18 months, the pair have journeyed over 10,000 miles to uncover gems of knowledge and people of passion across 12 countries. They’ve assisted with the rose harvest in Bulgaria, rolled in snow in Estonia, slept down a salt mine in Poland, picked healing mushrooms from the hills of Serbia, been injected with gas in Czech Republic and bathed in naturally fizzy pools in Romania.
The book focuses primarily on natural elements as great sources of healing, which have also stood the test of time. Many treatments using mud or mineral waters, for example, have changed little over three centuries and are used today, just they always have been – to cure disease. Such potent approaches, Sokolova and Benge believe, can teach much to the global spa industry.
Healing Sources – Spas and Wellbeing from the Baltic to the Black Sea (working title) is due to be published in mid 2014 by Prestel.
Benge is a journalist from London and author of The Tropical Spa focusing on the South East Asian approach to wellness. Sokolova is co-founder and GM of Amber Spa Boutique Hotel in Latvia (see SB10/3 p56).
On their travels, they were accompanied by photographers and film makers Helen Abraham and Christian Banfield. As well as the book, the team are offering a library of over 10,000 images for sale, and advisory services, related to wellness in this part of Europe.
Details: www.thehealingsources.com
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Helene Goetzelmann
L'Occitane's international spa director tells Rhianon Howells how the consumer retail company has become a spa operator with 60 facilities
Ask an expert: Profit & Loss
Hotel spas need to fight capital expenditure allocation said an investor panel at this year's Global Spa & Wellness Summit
Research: All rise
There's been an increase in the five top key performance indicators in the US spa industry shows the 2013 ISPA study
Company Profile Promotion: ESPA promotion
As ESPA's 20th
anniversary year draws
to a close, founder and
CEO Sue Harmsworth
explains how and why the
company is still evolving
Safari Spa: Animal instinct
Safari spas are the staple for Amani, one of South Africa's largest spa chains. Lisa Starr talks to MD Ronleigh Gordon
Trends: Brief encounters
We take a look at some of the most innovative spa pop-ups, a growing trend across the leisure sector
Interview: Paul Smyth
Something & Son designer shares his insights on creating pop-up spa facilities. Magali Robathan reports
Summit review: Upping the ante
Katie Barnes reveals the takeaway messages from the 2013 Global Spa & Wellness Summit in New Delhi, India, attended by 375 industry leaders
Research: Local news
Domestic travellers dominate the global wellness tourism market which has an economic impact of US$1.3 trillion. SRI's Ophelia Yeung reports
Research: Thai up
Prantik Bordoloi analyses a 2013 Thai spa industry study based on both spa consumer and spa operator opinions
Software news: Tech talk
The latest developments and news from spa software suppliers from around the world
Private hotel owner and developer HVL Hotels will open a new luxury resort and tourism
destination called Laval Hunter Valley in the second half of 2027 in Pokolbin, Australia.
The annual wellness festival dedicated to wellbeing, culture, longevity and human connection,
called Alma, will be hosted by Rocco Forte hotel, Verdura Resort in Sicily, Italy.
Capella Hotel Group has appointed Feisal Jaffer as chief development officer as the company
ramps up its global expansion of both its Capella and Patina brands.
People taking GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound
may be losing weight, but they’re also becoming less physically active, according to new
research presented at the ENDO 2026 annual meeting of the Endocrine Society
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Global retreat trade show, Synergy The Retreat Show, has launched a resource called The
Source, which hosts an open-access online Transformation Series programme.
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five-
day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held at Carden Park Hotel and Spa in
Cheshire, UK, between 1 and 5 September.
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and
rebranded wellness offering called Ansana Wellness and Spa.
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Hawaii, US, has opened its
22,000 sq ft indoor-outdoor Spa at Mauna Kea as the final step in the property’s overall
renovation, which has cost more than US$180 million (€166 million, £140 mill
Contrast therapy, based on the alternation of hot and cold rituals, has become one of the
most valued practices in the fields of wellness and recovery. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Spa Supply Solutions Founded in 2014 by spa management expert Julie Bevilacqua, Spa Supply Solutions is a leader in spa p [more...]
