Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia will continue to collaborate and develop spa tourism in the cross-border region following the success of a project undertaken throughout 2014 to restore six health spas with funding from the European Union.

The project, called Development and promotion of health spa tourism in the cross-border region of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia: Cross Spa, cost a total of €452,152 (US$523,384, £346,091) – 85 per cent of which was co-financed by the EU. Aimed at strengthening regional co-operation and sustainable economic development, a joint integrated spa tourism offer was implemented.

According to a report by the EU, the leading partner was the Sarajevo-based Foundation for Local Democracy, alongside the Tourist Organisation of Serbia in the western region of Uzice. Their partners in the project were the Sarajevo Regional Development Agency (SERDA) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, plus the Regional Development Agency Zlatibor in Serbia.

The spas that received the benefits of this funding include three thermal facilities in Bosnia-Herzegovina: Terme Ilidza, Reumal Fojnica and Aquaterm Olovo. In Serbia, the three spas restored were Cigota in Zlatibor, Zlatar and Priboj.

Hailed as a success by project leaders, important features of the Cross Spa venture included the establishment of the Association of Spas in Bosnia-Herzegovina. A total of 280 students of spa management and employees in the region received training on EU standards in the delivery of health and wellness services. Experts from the Special Hospital in Cigota passed on their knowledge and experience on healthy weight loss spas to colleagues from Bosnia-Herzegovina.

A new joint tourism product was created too – an integrated health tourism initiative with 15 individual programmes. To support this, a marketing plan was developed to promote the product and two brochures were produced and a study trip organised for representatives of tour operators from Europe and the region.

The extra funding went towards improving the infrastructure of the Aquaterm spa and the reconstruction of part of the facility to offer healthy weight loss services and gym equipment. Money was also used to repair flooding damage at this spa, sustained during May 2014.

Jasmina Mujezinovic, executive director of the Foundation for Local Democracy, stressed that on the road to membership of the EU, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina need to build new and responsible partnerships on the basis of close regional co-operation.

In other news, a working group was set up by the Serbian government in August 2014 to draw up possible solutions to problems faced by spa resorts and healthcare centres, privatised and owned by the Republic’s Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (PIO).