The first “UNIQA Wellness & Spa Fest” in Serbia, dedicated to health and prevention, was held successfully on October 10, at the Novi Sad Fair’s congress center, which with its authentic design, content, interactive story and great atmosphere filled with good energy – won all participants and visitors of this unique festival, organized by the magazine "Turistički Svet" – member of ALCO Group, "Wellness Academy Peđa Filipović" and Novi Sad Fair, under the slogan "Just relax...". For the first time in Serbia was pronounced the Wellness Ambassador of Serbia.
In the name of the organizer, visitors were greeted by Ljiljana Rebronja, a director of “UNIQA Wellness & Spa Fest”, highlighting that her long time dream of expanding wellness & spa culture is becoming reality.
- This is the first festival of its kind in Serbia and I honestly hope it will become one of the most attractive tourism festival brands of our country. As a tourism journalist and the author of the project "Serbian Royal Spas", during whole career I have worked on the promotion of spas and wellness centers, recognizing that our biggest wealth lies in the mineral healing waters, hospitality of our people, our knowledge and medical strength. And finally, I am completely sure that one day, this country could be real "wellness el dorado". That is my dream, and this project is part of that dream – said Mrs. Rebronja, emphasizing:
- The massage of the UNIQA Wellness & Spa Fest is: “Let us be the fighters for prevention and health and let us learn how to deal with challenges in these time by using the benefits of our spas and wellness centers, because wellness & spa are not only the privileged of rich, but the need of all people who want to live longer and more quality lives“.
General sponsor of the first UNIQA Wellness & Spa Fest was the Provincial government of Vojvodina, on whose behalf its Vice-President Miroslav Vasin addressed the participants and visitors.
- Vojvodina sees significant tourism potential in health tourism. We have quality spas, healing waters and exquisite doctors. Prevention is a necessity and the purpose of these kinds of events is to share that massage – said Vasin.
Partner country of this new festival was India, so the Ambassador of that country HRH Narinder Chauhan, greeted the participants, reminding everyone that India is a cradle of traditional medicine, yoga, Ayurveda, homeopathy… She is pleased to see that people in Serbia recognized the importance of these ancient skills, and that all across Serbia this year on June 21 was celebrated the International Yoga Day.
An exclusive sponsor of the wellness festival was UNIQA Insurance Company among the first to recognize the importance of health care.
- We are proud to be the part of the first UNIQA Wellness & Spa Fest, whose missions are healthy lifestyle, body and mind balance and taking care of health – said marketing manager of the UNIQA Insurance, Sonja Marić.
On behalf of the Novi Sad Fair, participants of the UNIQA Wellness & Spa Fest greeted corporate director Nebojša Drakulić, who on this occasion awarded the creator of the festival Ljiljana Rebronja with the Novi Sad Fair’s Goblet for successful organization of the first UNIQA Wellness & Spa Fest.
In appreciation of support in the organization of the first wellness fest in Serbia, Mrs. Rebronja handed the Golden letters of recognitions to Miroslav Vasin, Vice-President of the Provincial government, HRH Narinder Chauhan, the Ambassador of India and UNIQA Insurance, exclusive sponsor of the Fest.
For the first time in history of our country was pronounced the Wellness Ambassador of Serbia! Ambassador’s ribbon was handed to Peđa Filipović, organizer of wellness concepts in Serbia and co organizer of the Fest, who by hitting the gong pronounced the “UNIQA Wellness & Spa Fest officially opened.
- It is really magnificent and especially festive feeling to be the first Serbian wellness ambassador. It is a feeling that gives the sense of greater responsibility and drives me to work on myself, sense that gives me awareness of the fact that when I stand out as a therapist and manager I not only represent myself but also my country, its traditions and culture. After 26 years of work I got this recognition that represents a king of award for a lifetime achievement, on which I am eternally grateful and deeply touched – revealed Filipović, after which he, together with other participants performed the ritual "Greeting Life Energy".
After that followed the performance of show group of the Yoga Association of Serbia “Art Joga Similiris”, and visitors of the first UNIQA Wellness & Spa festival had the opportunity to enjoy in massages with warm seashells, chocolate treatments, face treatments with stem cells that is offered in Hotel Izvor in Aranđelovac, various tastings, presentations and workshops, as well as exercises of Kundalini yoga and Thai Chi, led by our most known teachers in these disciplines. Dr Feelgood revealed to all his "code for health life", and visitors had the opportunity, thanks to the doctors of the Health Center in Inđija, to check their complete health status, take advises from nutritionists, get service from a chiropractor...
Highlight of the event was the performance of Peđa Filipović "Live, but fully, for every eternity is short", within which was performed Art massage accompanied with the "Immortal song" of Mika Antić and music of Albinoni and Mozart, after which the sound of gong marked the end of the first "UNIQA Wellness Fest". This event will certainly be remembered as a proactive, avant-garde and exciting event, unique in the region.
Peđa Filipović – the first wellness ambassador of Serbia
He was the creator of wellness history in Serbia a quarter of a century ago. He is an actor, musician, journalist, yoga instructor and lecturer at authorized massage school "Profesional" – now "Wellness Academy Peđa Filipović", where for 26 years were educated more than 30,000 students! He is a creator of many authoring massage methods and a founder of selfness concept "Meet yourself", a driving spirit of Art massage – new movement in wellness & spa industry... Last year he became the first licensed and certified instructor in the ex Yu region for Japanese method Ai Chi – the energy of love. He is the fan of water and its healing benefits, so he created new treatment "The Angelic Touch of Water”, in which he combined the beauties of massage in thermal water, Jacob’s system of progressive muscle relaxation, feet reflex therapy, acupressure, shiatsu philosophy and angelic reiki. Thanks to him, many spas in the country and region enriched and raised offer quality. This man of incredible energy continuously explores and deepens his knowledge, so it is not surprising that he will soon become the first doctor of wellness in Serbia. Therefore Peđa Filipović is the first and true "ambassador of Serbian wellness", without who no real story about wellness, including this one, would have any meaning.
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