Benge and Sokolova have travelled more than 10,000 miles to try out sources of healing focused on natural elements for the book
Alla Sokolova and Sophie Benge, two industry friends, are collaborating on a ground breaking book that explores the culture of wellbeing in Eastern Europe.
Over the past 18 months, the pair have journeyed over 10,000 miles to uncover gems of knowledge and people of passion across 12 countries. They’ve assisted with the rose harvest in Bulgaria, rolled in snow in Estonia, slept down a salt mine in Poland, picked healing mushrooms from the hills of Serbia, been injected with gas in Czech Republic and bathed in naturally fizzy pools in Romania.
The book focuses primarily on natural elements as great sources of healing, which have also stood the test of time. Many treatments using mud or mineral waters, for example, have changed little over three centuries and are used today, just they always have been – to cure disease. Such potent approaches, Sokolova and Benge believe, can teach much to the global spa industry.
Healing Sources – Spas and Wellbeing from the Baltic to the Black Sea (working title) is due to be published in mid 2014 by Prestel.
Benge is a journalist from London and author of The Tropical Spa focusing on the South East Asian approach to wellness. Sokolova is co-founder and GM of Amber Spa Boutique Hotel in Latvia (see SB10/3 p56).
On their travels, they were accompanied by photographers and film makers Helen Abraham and Christian Banfield. As well as the book, the team are offering a library of over 10,000 images for sale, and advisory services, related to wellness in this part of Europe.
Details: www.thehealingsources.com
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Benge and Sokolova have travelled more than 10,000 miles to try out sources of healing focused on natural elements for the book
Alla Sokolova and Sophie Benge, two industry friends, are collaborating on a ground breaking book that explores the culture of wellbeing in Eastern Europe.
Over the past 18 months, the pair have journeyed over 10,000 miles to uncover gems of knowledge and people of passion across 12 countries. They’ve assisted with the rose harvest in Bulgaria, rolled in snow in Estonia, slept down a salt mine in Poland, picked healing mushrooms from the hills of Serbia, been injected with gas in Czech Republic and bathed in naturally fizzy pools in Romania.
The book focuses primarily on natural elements as great sources of healing, which have also stood the test of time. Many treatments using mud or mineral waters, for example, have changed little over three centuries and are used today, just they always have been – to cure disease. Such potent approaches, Sokolova and Benge believe, can teach much to the global spa industry.
Healing Sources – Spas and Wellbeing from the Baltic to the Black Sea (working title) is due to be published in mid 2014 by Prestel.
Benge is a journalist from London and author of The Tropical Spa focusing on the South East Asian approach to wellness. Sokolova is co-founder and GM of Amber Spa Boutique Hotel in Latvia (see SB10/3 p56).
On their travels, they were accompanied by photographers and film makers Helen Abraham and Christian Banfield. As well as the book, the team are offering a library of over 10,000 images for sale, and advisory services, related to wellness in this part of Europe.
Details: www.thehealingsources.com
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2013 issue 4
Interview: Helene Goetzelmann
L'Occitane's international spa director tells Rhianon Howells how the consumer retail company has become a spa operator with 60 facilities
Ask an expert: Profit & Loss
Hotel spas need to fight capital expenditure allocation said an investor panel at this year's Global Spa & Wellness Summit
Research: All rise
There's been an increase in the five top key performance indicators in the US spa industry shows the 2013 ISPA study
Company Profile Promotion: ESPA promotion
As ESPA's 20th
anniversary year draws
to a close, founder and
CEO Sue Harmsworth
explains how and why the
company is still evolving
Safari Spa: Animal instinct
Safari spas are the staple for Amani, one of South Africa's largest spa chains. Lisa Starr talks to MD Ronleigh Gordon
Trends: Brief encounters
We take a look at some of the most innovative spa pop-ups, a growing trend across the leisure sector
Interview: Paul Smyth
Something & Son designer shares his insights on creating pop-up spa facilities. Magali Robathan reports
Summit review: Upping the ante
Katie Barnes reveals the takeaway messages from the 2013 Global Spa & Wellness Summit in New Delhi, India, attended by 375 industry leaders
Research: Local news
Domestic travellers dominate the global wellness tourism market which has an economic impact of US$1.3 trillion. SRI's Ophelia Yeung reports
Research: Thai up
Prantik Bordoloi analyses a 2013 Thai spa industry study based on both spa consumer and spa operator opinions
Software news: Tech talk
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Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
The government of Thailand is exploring plans for a THB300bn (£6.3bn, US$8.3bn)
entertainment complex in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with officials
proposing a large-scale theme park and sports destination as part of a broader tourism and
economic development strategy.
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