Siyka Katsarova

Vice President, European Spas Association

Dr. Siyka Katsarova is a leading expert in health tourism with over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, and the last two decades dedicated to positioning health and wellness destinations on the European market.

She has been a Board Member of the European Spas Association (ESPA) since May 2007, and in May 2016 was appointed Vice President of the association. In December 2006, she founded the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and Spa Tourism (BUBSPA) – the nationally representative branch NGO in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Health. Since March 2018, she has been serving as its President.

Dr. Katsarova is a member of the National Tourism Council of Bulgaria and an active initiator of key health tourism development projects. In 2018, she launched the initiative “Bulgaria on the Map of the German Health Insurance Market”, in cooperation with the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Bulgarien) and with support from national institutions. Thanks to this initiative, Bulgaria was officially listed in the German GKV health insurance system. In 2024, she initiated a Working Group for the Development of Medical Tourism, coordinated by the Ministry of Tourism and involving stakeholders such as the Ministry of Health, the Bulgarian Hospital Association, medical universities, and relevant professional associations. She is also a Board Member of the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DBIHK) until June 2025.

In addition to her public roles, Dr. Katsarova is the founder and managing partner of MEDSPA BG JSC (established in January 2011), a company specializing in medical tourism facilitation and international patient coordination.