Wednesday, 4th June 2025
08.00 - 20.00 Registration Desk open at Ensana Thermal Margaret Island, Lobby
14.00 - 16.00
B2B Networking for Thermal Destinations
Location: Széchenyi Bath, Palmhouse
hosted by the European Historic Thermal Towns Association
15.30 – 17.00 Mayor’s Summit - Meeting for mayors from around the world
Location: Széchenyi Bath, Marble Hall
Hosted by EHTTA President Riccardo Mortandello, Mayor of Montegrotto Terme (Italy) and EHTTA Vice President Isidre Pineda, Mayor of Caldes de Montbui (Catalonia)
17.30 Transfer from Széchenyi Bath to Margaret Island (20 min.) - service on invitation only
19.30 Welcome Reception hosted by Ensana Hotels
Location: Ensana Grand Hotel Margaret Island, Széchenyi Restaurant & Terrace
Welcome by Mark Hennebry, Chairperson, Ensana Health Spa Hotels
Petra Bailey, Vice President Ensana
Frank Halmos, CEO Ensana
Péter Mácsai, General Manager Ensana Health Spa Hotels Margaret Island
Riccardo Mortandello, President European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA)
Thursday, 5th June 2025
Location: Ensana Thermal Margaret Island, Star Auditorium
from 8.00 Registration of delegates
Location: Lobby of Ensana Thermal Margaret Island
MC & Global Moderator: Mr. András Simon
9.00 – 9.15 Conference Official Opening
Riccardo Mortandello, President, European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA)
Ildikó Szüts, CEO, Budapest Spas
Ion Vilcu, Director, Affiliate Members and Public-Private Collaboration Department, UN Tourism
DESTINATION FORUM
9.30 – 10.15 Session #1
The Ugly Truth of Operating Thermal Destinations
chaired by Simone Zagrodnik, Executive Director, European Historic Thermal Towns Association
Maria Batta, Human Resources Director, Budapest Spas (Hungary)
László Puczkó, Senior Health Spa Advisor, Ensana Hotels (Hungary)
Fabrizio Caldara, Director, Pietro d'Abano Thermal Studies Centre (Italy)
Welcome message from Belgin Aksoy, Founder of the Global Wellness Day
10.15 – 10.45 Coffee break
10.45 – 11.30 Session #2
The Thermal Tourism Market – Global Perspectives
Fabrizio Orlando, Global Director Industry Affairs, tripadvisor.com (Spain)
Miguel Gallego, Head of Marketing, European Travel Commission
Frank Halmos, CEO, Ensana Health Spa Hotels (Czechia)
Claudia Wagner, Managing Director, FITReisen GmbH (Germany)
11.30 – 12.15 Session #3
Where Is the Evidence? What Certain Market Segments Understand & Expect?
chaired by Csilla Mezősi, Secretary General, European Spas Association (ESPA)
Ali Ghamman, President, Observatoire du Tourisme Morocco (Morocco)
Alina Huseynli, Director, Institute of Spa and Balneology Karlovy Vary (Czechia)
Dr. Eva Ruzicska, Head Physician Ensana Hungary
Dr. Janka Zalesakova, President Slovak Spa Association (Slovakia)
Welcome message from Jean-Guy de Gabriac, Founder of the World Wellness Weekend
12.30 – 13.30 Buffet Lunch at Restaurant Thermal Hotel
13.30 – 14.15 Session #4
Defining & Creating A New Thermal Destination: Thermal Tourism as additional opportunity to main tourism concepts
Markos Danas, Secretary General, Hellenic Association of Municipalities with Thermal Springs (Greece)
Ahmed Aloraij, President, Saudi Health Tourism Association (Saudi Arabia)
Dr. Ngamnid Saennampol, Chiang Mai Ratjabhat University (Thailand)
SUSTAINABILITY FORUM
14.15 - 15.00 Session #5
Tired of TALKING? What has really been done? Transitions - Thermal destinations moving to action and innovation
chaired by Simone Zagrodnik, Executive Director, European Historic Thermal Towns Association (Belgium)
Marion Roussel, Route des Villes d'Eaux du Massif Central, Director European Cooperations (France)
Edvardas Citvaras, Birštonas, Vice Mayor (Lithuania)
Victor Leal, Termas de São Pedro do Sul, CEO (Portugal)
Welcome message from Dr. Rekha Chaudhari, Founder of World Digital Detox Day
15.00 - 15.30 Coffee Break
HOSPITALITY FORUM
15.30 - 17.00 Session #6
Investing to Thermal Hospitality
chaired by László Puczkó, Senior Health Spa Advisor, Ensana Health Spas
Andrew Gibson, Advisor and Strategist for Wellness Communities, Real Estate and Hospitality (Sweden)
Mark Hennebry, Chairperson Ensana Health Spas (Czechia)
Vladan Vešković, Secretary General, Serbian Spas Association (Serbia)
Nike Schroeder, Palazzo Fiuggi, Project Lead (Italy)
Riccardo Mortandello, Mayor of Montegrotto Terme (Italy) and EHTTA Vice President
17.00 End of conference day
19.15 Transfer for guests staying at Ensana Thermal Hotel & Grand Hotel to Géllert Bath
20.00 Gala Dinner at Géllert Bath hosted by VisitHungary and Budapest Spas
Welcome by Ildikó Szüts, CEO Budapest Spas
Dinner Talk with László Könnyid, CEO Hungary Tourism Agency
22.30 Return transfer for guests staying at Ensana Thermal Hotel & Grand Hotel Margaret Island Hotels
Friday, 6 th June 2025
Location: Ensana Thermal Margaret Island, Star Auditorium
GOOD MORNING BUDAPEST!
7.30 Yoga / Morning Activity
Meeting Point: Lobby, Ensana Thermal Hotel
FUTURE FORUM
9.30 – 10.15 Session #7
Thermal Heritage in Tourism: New Interpretation of Thermalism
chaired by Szilvia Czinege, Director of Sales & Marketing Budapest Spas
Gábor Kálmán, Director of Marketing & Communications, SPARTY (Hungary)
Marion Schneider, Co-Founder & Owner, Toskana Therme Bad Sulza (Germany)
Paul H. Song, President, Korean Spa Wellness Society (Korea)
10.15 - 11.00 Session #8
“Tik-Tok”isation of Thermal Bathing: Demand Generation & Awareness Raising
chaired by László Puczkó, Senior Health Spa Advisor, Ensana Health Spas
Yannick Blättler, CEO & Founder, Neoviso AG (Switzerland)
Dario Marčac & Dijana Domonkoš, CEO & Founders Crew Media (Croatia)
Ivana Kolar, CEO at HTI Partner & TOURISM 365 Conference (Croatia)
11.00 - 11.45 Session #9
The Future of Health, The Future of Thermalism
chaired by Melanie Smith, Researcher, Budapest University of Economics and Business
INTERSPACE Youth Project, Great Spa Towns of Europe - Karolína Weiszdornová, Student from Františkovy Lázně & Daniel Matějíček, Student from Karlovy Vary (Czechia)
EUCharme Project Hungary - Dr. Andrea Velich, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest
12.00 - 12.30 Session #10
Longevity - Facts, Hype, Viral Trend?
Petra Bailey, Vice President Ensana Hotels (Czechia)
Dr. Eva Ruzicska, Ensana Hotels (Hungary)
Dr. János Kóka, MD and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Cellum Group and Doktor24 (Hungary)
12.30 – 13.30 Buffet Lunch (Restaurant, Ensana Thermal Margaret Island)
13.30 – 14.15 Session #11
Did you know? Discovering Thermal Destinations Around the Globe
Dr. Marcus Coplin, President, BANA Balneology Association of North America (USA)
Hiroshi Tanimura - Executive Director, International Affairs, JATA Japan Association of Travel Agents
Charles Davidson - Co-Founder, Chairman & Creative Director, Peninsula Hot Springs (Australia)
14.15 - 15.00 Session #12
More Reality! Heritage as Constraints vs Critical Foundation for Return
chaired by Chiara Ronchini, Secretary General, Great Spa Towns of Europe
Dr. Tamas Fejérdy, Architect & Specialist in monument conservation and restauration (Hungary)
Anke Matthys, Site Manager, World Heritage Site, Vichy (France)
Barbara van der Wee, Architect, Spa (Belgium)
15.00 - 15.30 Coffee Talk: EHTTA Publication on Thermal Tourism
Talk with authors Mario Crecente & László Puczkó
15.30 - 16.00 CLOSING SESSION - from the ugly truth to the future of thermalism
