At the International Book Fair Bookfest, where Bulgaria is this year’s guest of honour, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) presented a special edition of its LIK magazine, BG SPA – Health Through Water, published in Romanian in addition to Bulgarian and English.
“Today BTA is speaking Romanian. This is the first issue of LIK magazine published in Romanian,” BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said at the launch. He noted that the publication features information on 128 certified SPA, wellness and medical SPA centres in Bulgaria and was produced in connection with HEALTHXCHANGE 2026, a European forum on the future of sustainable health tourism held in May.
The English-language edition was distributed to more than 200 delegates from European institutions, academia, the medical sector and the tourism industry, he added.
Valchev highlighted Bulgaria’s strong potential as a health and wellness destination. “SPA is one of Bulgaria’s key messages to the world, alongside seaside, mountain and cultural tourism,” he said. He pointed to the country’s more than 550 thermal and mineral water deposits with 1,600 mineral springs and total capacity of 4,900 l/s, making Bulgaria the leader in continental Europe with its resources of natural mineral and spring water.
“Bulgaria has well-established destinations known for their beneficial climate and clean air, making them suitable for climate therapy tourism, including Sandanski, Tryavna, Sveti Vlas and Chepelare. The country also boasts 354 kilometres of Black Sea coastline and 78 developed sandy beaches that provide opportunities for thalassotherapy tourism. In addition, Bulgaria has six lakes with therapeutic mud and salt deposits – Shabla Lake, Rusalka, Balchishka Tuzla, Varna Lake, Atanasovsko Lake and Pomorie Lake,” Valchev said.
He also argued that in today’s uncertain world, the acronym SPA could stand for “Safe, Peace, Approach” because “Bulgaria offers a SPA holiday that is safe, peaceful, affordable and close by.”
Valchev announced that the special issue is also being prepared in Turkish and will be presented in Ankara on June 22. He added that BTA plans to start publishing news in Romanian on its website and social media platforms.
During the fair, BTA is also presenting editions of its LIK magazine in six languages – Bulgarian, English, Spanish, German, French, and Japanese. Among the featured issues are New BG WINE Leads the Way, Bulgaria in UNESCO, Christo and Jeanne-Claude at 90 in Eternity, Bulgaria at the World Expos, LIK at 60, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences at 155, Bulgarian Science in Antarctica, Bulgarian Footprint in Space, To Antarctica and Back Under a Bulgarian Flag, and The Voice of Bulgarians in Ukraine.
