The National Spa Association of Lithuania is opening its massage championship to other European countries for the first time this year.

The event, sponsored by the non-profit Association, brings industry professionals together for two days to watch top therapists perform and win prizes and awards. In the past, the event was limited to participants from Lithuania, but this year, organisers hope to have at least 30 participants from 10 different countries take part in the Open European Massage Championship, set for May 18-19 in the seaside resort of Palanga.

“The key reason for going open and international is to provide the possibilities for our industry players and therapists to see how masters from other countries are performing and to see the trends in other countries – while at the same time, letting other countries have a closer look at our own heritage,” said Lukas Mackevicius, president of the National Spa Association of Lithuania.

“Also, as the spa industry is an international industry, we decided to take an initiative in the region and share this amazing experience with associations in other countries, as it’s an extremely valuable tool for staff motivation and personal development.”

Mackevicius said participants are all very dedicated, spending 30-60 days preparing for the event.

Rules will be provided in Lithuanian, English and Russian, and the event will include judges from Lithuania, Israel, Italy, Russia, Latvia and Estonia.