Spa resort Ribarska Banja achieved top business results in 2009 - construction of wellness and spa center worth 4.6m EUR in the pipeline

- In spite of the global economic crisis, special hospital for degenerative bone diseases "Ribarska Banja" achieved the best business results ever in 2009 - said Branislav Katančević, the hospital manager.

Katančević said at the press conference that the hospital's incomes amounted to about 5m EUR.

He said that 182m RSD had been invested in renovation and construction of facilities in spa resort Ribarska Banja in 2009 when the 175th anniversary of its establishment had been celebrated.

Katančević added that there were 161,000 overnight stays in the Long-Term Care with about 500 beds.

Due to increased scope of work, "Ribarska banja" hired 15 new workers in 2009, while another 39 people were employed on definite period of time at the beginning of year 2010.

Katančević announced that another 50 people would be employed in 2010 if everything went as planned.

According to his words, construction of 4.6m EUR worth of wellness and spa centers with 70 beds will be finished this year, and the management's most important task is to provide a new space, which is necessary for the spa's further development.

Ribarska Banja now has 4.6 ha of land at its disposal.

Katančević said that he would ask for minimum 12 ha of land, which had been confiscated after the World War II and was at the disposal of Srbijašume at the moment, to be returned to the spa.

- I believe we will succeed in that, but even if we don't get the land, our plan is to rent it on the period of 99 years and have a tourist complex built on it - said he.