HTI convenes European and international stakeholders to examine structural challenges and opportunities in health tourism, cross-border healthcare cooperation and integrated wellbeing-driven economic models.
10.30 Opening Session
Integrating Health, Tourism and Mobility into Europe’s Wellbeing Economy
Welcome Notes
MEP Nikolina Brnjac
Ivana Kolar · Director, European HTI Summit
Opening Remarks
Setting the European Perspective
Apostolos Tzitzikostas · Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism (DG MOVE) TBC
Europe as strong destination of health tourism
Eduardo Santander · Executive Director/ CEO at European Travel Commission (ETC)
11.00 Keynotes – Structural Shifts in European Health & Travel Systems
High-level perspectives on the role of health tourism in strengthening Europe’s resilience and sustainable economic development
Health Systems Under Pressure: What Role for Cross-Border Healthcare?
MEP Tomislav Sokol
Preventive Health and Spa Medicine as Europe’s Untapped Asset
Assoc.Prof.Dr. Siyka Katsarova Ph.D. · President, European Spas Association (ESPA)
Cross-Border Healthcare in Practice – Regulation, Access and Medical Travel
Michal Dybowski · President, Healthcare Poland Foundation
11.25 European Strategic Dialogue – Can Europe Become the World’s Most Trusted Health Travel Region?
A strategic discussion on Europe’s positioning within the rapidly growing global health, wellbeing and longevity economy, moderated by István Ujhelyi · UN Ambassador, Former MEP & Political influencer
MEP Zala Tomašič
Victoria Petrova · Senior Expert in Innovation and SMEs, Accessibility and Inclusiveness European Commission, Directorate General for Mobility and Transport – Unit Tourism
Séverine Philippin · General Manager, Les Thermes de Spa
Riccardo Mortandello · President, European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA)
12:00 From Regulation to Implementation: Bridging Policy and Market Trend and Realities
Short strategic interventions and suggestions to enable sustainable growth in health tourism and cross-border healthcare
Europe’s Sustainable Tourism Strategy: What It Means for Health Destinations
MEP Daniel Attard
Health Tourism as a Driver of Year-Round Regional Economies
Andreja Vukojević · Vice President, HGK/CCE
Investments in Health Tourism Infrastructure and Experience: From Hospitals to Health
Resorts
Renata Žugić · Director, Rehabilitation resort Veli Lošinj
Longevity Medicine: The Next Frontier of Health and Preventive Tourism
Lucia Magnani · Founder, Lucia Magnani Health Clinic & Long Life Formula
12:40 Scaling Europe’s Health Economy – Investment, Innovation and Partnerships
Policy and Industry leaders discuss how to scale integrated health tourism models through cross-sector partnerships and destination cooperations
Health and Wellbeing Tourism – New Opportunities
MEP Elena Kountoura
Health Tourism as a Driver of Regional Development and Investment
MEP Andrey Novakov
European Life Science Strategy
Assoc.Prof. Milena Angelova Ph.D. · Rapporteur of the European Economic and Social
Committee / Secretary-General of Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA)
Integrating Healthcare and Hospitality Without Over-Medicalising Tourism
Sherif Hassan MD · Healthspan Tourism Architect
13:00 HTI looking Ahead
Research Insights: The Health Impact of Spa Therapy
Alina Huseynli · Director, iLab Institute Karlovy Vary
Making Health Data Actually Useful
Jasnoor Kaur · founder & CEO of SoinsAI
Why younger generations are reshaping health tourism
Dijana Domonkoš · Co-Founder, Crew Media
13.20 Strategic Conclusions – Towards a European Health Tourism Agenda
MEP Borja Giménez Larraz
Ivana Kolar · Director, European HTI Summit
13.30 Networking Reception & Continuing the Dialogue
14.30 Close of the EHTI Summit
Download the European HTI Summit 2026 program
Featured Speakers
