Novi Becej municipality takes over Vojvodina spa

The municipality of Novi Becej has decided to acquire a majority stake in Novo Milosevo-based Vojvodina spa from the Austrian company Vamed. This municipality will thus become the owner of 51% of the company, while the remaining 49 percent will stay in the hands of the state, through the National Tourism Development Corporation.

By the decision of the local community Novo Milosevo that wanted to have a wellness and spa center built in this village, in the vicinity of a 19th century castle, the Vojvodina spa company was established in December 2009. The company’s first task was to find an appropriate form of financial investment in the project, and it was decided it should be a public-private partnership.

Austria’s Vamed, one of the leading European companies in the field of planning, design, construction and management of health care institutions and medical tourism complexes, with a tradition spanning over three decades, was chosen to be a partner. However, the Novi Becej local self-government has now decided to take over a majority stake in Vojvodina spa, but that does not mean that Austrians are leaving this project totaling about EUR 54 million.

- Vamed will remain a partner in tourism development in Novo Milosevo, but it will participate in the project through another company that it will establish – Sasa Vojnovic, assistant mayor of Novi Becej and project coordinator, explains to the daily Dnevnik.

As he said, the municipality will do its best to acquire the remaining 49 percent of shares in Vojvodina spa from the National Tourism Development Corporation in the following period.

- If everything goes as planned, and if we get support of the Serbian government, the wellness and spa center could be built by 2017. On the other hand, all phases of the project would be completed by 2025 –Vojnovic specified.

The future tourist complex would occupy a surface area of about 24,000 square meters and include a four-star hotel with 160 rooms, restaurant, indoor and outdoor swimming pools with hot thermal water, sauna, fitness center, beauty parlor, massage center and other amenities.