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Wellness Tourism Association aligns with World Wellness Weekend to appoint new ambassadors

21 Jan 2022 The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA), is celebrating its fourth anniversary by striking up a partnership with World Wellness Weekend (WWW) – a global wellness event created to help people adopt healthier lifestyles.

The new partnership will see select WWW Ambassadors, from various parts of the world, become WTA ambassadors.

“We’re extremely delighted to partner with WWW, a globally-respected entity with goals aligned with our own,” says Anne Dimon, WTA co-founder and president/CEO.

“The WWW Ambassadors have demonstrated such passion and enthusiasm for the WWW cause that we know they will help us in supporting the WTA’s mission of bringing standards, definitions and clarity to this growing segment of the tourism industry."

WWW founder Jean-Guy de Gabriac adds: “After two extremely challenging years, accessible and sustainable wellness travel is now on everybody’s mind, whether locally with revitalising staycations, or internationally with immersive retreats.

“2022 should be the year for professionals in hospitality, spa, wellness and tourism to actively work together and create elevated experiences and packages to put smiles back on the faces of millions of wellness enthusiasts.”

The full list of new WTA ambassadors includes:

Simone Ciolli – Italy
Spa development consultant, project manager and trainer in wellness strategy management, Bologna-based Simone Ciolli, founder of SC Spa Consulting has been working in the beauty, spa, and wellness sectors for 30 years.

Ciolli’s experience has included various roles for companies on the international cosmetics and spa scene.

As a lecturer and congress speaker, he also organises seminars and training courses for spa operators.

Eduardo Finci – Argentina
As president of the Buenos Aires-based Asociacion Americana de Spa for the last 20 years, Eduardo Finci is also the founder and director of the Wello Academy and the American School of Spa.

In 2020, he was named WWW emeritus ambassador for Latin America.

Cinzia Galletto – Italy
A travel journalist with over 20-years of experience in communication for international thermal resorts and spas, Cinzia Galletto is based in Turin, Italy.

She’s also the author of several books on the theme of travel and tourism, a communication consultant specialising in thermal-spa destinations and wellness resorts, and the president of the Travel Stories Awards.

Giovanna Lorrai – Sardinia
Giovanna Lorrai has worked in the spa industry since 2004, as a spa manager and spa consultant.

As the founder of InEvoSpa in Sardinia, she works to enhance Sardinia's existing tourism offerings with wellness-focused activities and experiences, plus create a Sardinian presence in the global wellness tourism sector.

Stavros Mavridis – Greece
Based in Greece and with an education in physiotherapy and sports science, Stavros Mavridis has worked in the Greek hospitality and wellness industries for the last 17 years.

He’s collaborated in a benchmarking report for the Greek spa industry and is a member of the judging committee for the Greek Hotel Awards.

Dianna Ruas – Brazil
A certified practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), homoeopathy and macrobiotic medicine, Dianna Ruas’ career spans 40 years.

As a spa and wellness development consultant, project manager and trainer in integrative Health, her credits include acting as a consultant for the Canadian embassy at Phnom Penh, for the first integrative health centre in TCM for China and for The Datai Langkawi in Malaysia.

She has also worked for Canouan Development in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Jeanette Tambakau – Malaysia
Jeanette Tambakau is the co-founder of Jari Jari Spa in Malaysia. She is a board member of the National Spa Council Malaysia, chair of ISO Standard National level for the spa and wellness industry, and the immediate past president of The Association of Malaysian Spas (AMSPA).

Recently, she was appointed as the adjunct professor faculty of hospitality, tourism and wellness, University Malaysia Kelantan. help us in supporting the WTA’s mission of bringing standards, definitions and clarity to this growing