With international travel seeing a re-birth in a somewhat more normalized Covid-19 world, travel destinations have been developing new strategies and alliances to ensure a rapid rebound to travel that promotes a stable and sustainable future for their travel industry partners. Trnava Region, in Slovakia, long-known throughout history for its health-giving natural springs and spas has taken the unprecedented step within its tourism board history, by establishing an overseas promotional office for the very first time. While this in itself is not unique, its location certainly is within a general European context.

The Slovakian region, located in the middle of Europe, has chosen Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, as the location for its first international representative office, from which the Trnava Region will promote itself to nationals and residents throughout the Gulf States of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E., as the preferred European destination for Middle Eastern guests to visit for enhanced wellness, health, beauty and healing in 2023.

Commenting on the occasion, Agata Mikulova, Executive Director at Trnava Regional Tourism Board, said: “The Middle East outbound tourism market has been studied and identified as a visitor market of great potential for the tourism industry of the Trnava region. Travellers from the Gulf countries are known to be one of the best in the world for wellness and medical tourism as they tend to stay for extended periods, travel with immediate and extended families, and spend much of their stay also touring and exploring the surrounding cities and communities. Trnava Region is the perfect answer for travellers seeking such destinations, as we are home to some of the leading luxury wellness, medical, healing and natural spa hotels and resorts in Central Europe, with so many castles, medieval cities and towns and adventures to experience to keep even the most avid explorer and tourist fully occupied with authentic experiences.”

Mikulova added: “Trnava region may not yet be so well known within the Middle East, however our key industry players are ready to immediately accept Middle Eastern guests with culturally-aware hospitality, dietary options and even Arabic language services that would be appreciated by our guests. In order to expand awareness of our offerings and attractions and to develop travel agent and consumer engagement and demand, we have appointed AVIAREPS, the world’s leading destination marketing and promotion company, to run our first-ever representative office in the Middle East. With their travel industry, media and digital networks and expertise, we are confident they will position Trnava Region in order to meet our objectives and goals.”

Glenn Johnston, Vice President Middle East and Global Public Affairs, AVIAREPS, said: “Trnava region is a hidden gem and we are extremely honoured and proud to partner with the Trnava Regional Tourism Board in establishing their first international representative office, here in the Middle East.”

Johnston added: “Trnava’s wellness, health and medical spas offer excellence both in treatment and comfort. The region is dotted with natural wonders, castles, medieval cities and towns and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, making for excellent day trips that offer a luxury of personal attention and private exploration, as they are not overrun with tourists. Additionally, outbound travel for wellness and cultural tourism is shaping up fast in the Middle East as a growing trend, and Trnava Region has great scope and appeal to entice such travellers, not only as a standalone destination, but also as an ideal itinerary inclusion to those visiting the neighbouring capital cities of Bratislava, Vienna and Budapest, all lying on the Danube River and within a couple of hours drive from Trnava.”

Influencer Curated Holiday Packages

Promotions for Trnava Region have started immediately with a group of Emirati, Bahrani and UAE expat influencers hosted to the region in December 2022 to experience first-hand the exceptional spa and wellness facilities of the region, including visits to key tourist towns and villages, Christmas markets, winter wonderland natural settings and even high-speed adrenaline experiences at the Slovakia Ring, one of the longest motorway circuits in Europe. As a unique influencer collaboration initiative led by AVIAREPS and its specialized influencer marketing company, Swayfluence, each of the influencers will work with Trnava travel partners and leading UAE travel agencies to create individually branded and curated Trnava Region travel packages that will be made available for their followers to join them on a group travel experience back to Trnava.

Other key activities planned for the promotion of Trnava region in the Gulf include: specialized webinars for Middle East travel agents on how to create Trnava holiday packages and itineraries; tourism business development and seminar missions by Trnava tourism stakeholders to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain; participation at the 2023 Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, the Middle East’s largest tourism exhibition; and a series of social media and digital marketing campaigns to be held throughout the year.

Trnava – The Region of Water and Healing Sources

Trnava Region’s natural spa waters have long been recognized for their healing properties since pre-roman times. While natural springs are numerous throughout central Europe, it is those in Trnava Region that are especially highly regarded and revered as they are naturally geothermally heated, with all the health properties that geothermally heated springs offer. Foremost within the region is the spa town of Piešťany with its Spa Island; a whole island dedicated to healing, beauty, health and wellness.

Piešťany and its Spa Island is world-famous for its healing geothermal water and sulfur mud. This spa complex is one of Europe’s largest and most exceptional wellness retreats. Famous for its hot mineral springs (67 to 69°C) and sulfur mud have an extraordinary healing effect on inflammatory diseases due to extremely high content of sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, bromine, and magnesium.

Hotel Thermia Palace is the premier resort on Spa Island and Slovakia’s first five-star hotel. A renovated 1912 Art Nouveau gem, set in the picturesque surroundings of Spa Island, Hotel Thermia Palace is home to its historic and famous mud bath and mirror pools located in the luxurious spa area that reflects the grandeur of the hotel’s imperial past.

More info at: www.ensanahotels.com

Other thermal springs in Trnava are especially great for families with children as they incorporate aqua parks and can be enjoyed all year-round. These are located on Rye Island, which is the largest reservoir of drinking water in Europe. At the same time, it is the largest inland island in Europe, where the meander of tributaries of the Danube River offer fun-filled family experiences of rafting and other water activities.

More info at: www.thermal-corvinus.sk and www.thermalpark.sk

For further information about Trnava Region as a tourist destination, including thematic program guides, medical and wellness stays, and itineraries for exciting attractions, visit:

https://www.experiencetrnavaregion.sk/