Artūras Salda, director of Eglės Sanatorija, was recognized for his services to Lithuanian tourism.

"This award is an appreciation not only for me, but also for the entire "Eglės Sanatorium" community. Our goal was and is not only to preserve the traditions of sanatorium treatment, but also to adapt them to modern needs, expand services in cities and strengthen the awareness of Lithuania as a health tourism destination. I am glad that our efforts are seen and appreciated on a national scale," said A. Salda, accepting the award.
A. Salda, who has been leading Eglės Sanatorija for more than a decade, is one of the most prominent leaders of health tourism in the country. Over the past three years, the institution he leads has created more than 200 new jobs and opened nine Eglės Rehabilitation Centers in various Lithuanian cities.
No less important are his personal initiatives – since 2018, the Lithuanian Health Tourism Forum has been held annually, bringing together domestic and foreign experts, and in 2024, the prestigious European SPA Association Congress was organized in Druskininkai through his efforts. A. Salda also initiated the restoration of the activities of the National Association of Sanatoriums and Rehabilitation Institutions, which strengthened Lithuania's representation in international health tourism organizations.
One of the most significant projects is the transfer of sanatorium treatment traditions from resorts to cities - nine rehabilitation centers today provide initial and outpatient rehabilitation, offer mineral water and therapeutic mud procedures, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy procedures, and one of them even has a mineral water beauty salon. This year, the first "Sanatorium Treatment Museum" in Lithuania opened its doors in Druskininkai, allowing visitors to get acquainted with the development of balneology, procedures and the daily life of a sanatorium.
This year, the Ministry of Economy and Innovation honored five prominent representatives from different ethnographic regions of the country with the national award "For Merits to Lithuanian Tourism", whose work has significantly contributed to the development and awareness of Lithuanian tourism.