Two processes defined the tourist sector in 2015 – the formation of the Ministry of Tourism (it was given independent status at the close of 2014) and the efforts made throughout the year to make Bulgaria an appealing all year round tourist destination.

“We achieved a great deal. The Tourism Act adopted in March 2013 is now functioning, without the regulations that go with it. In 2015 we adopted some of them, the rest are currently being coordinated and will very soon be approved, so the sector may function properly – not as it has done, with a new law but old regulations, something that is quite a contradiction,” says in an interview for Radio Bulgaria Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova and adds:

“2015 was a very difficult year for tourism, especially the summer season when the bulk of the tourist flow is formed. The reason was, first and foremost the situation with Russia which is a major summer target market for Bulgaria, as well as because the necessary steps were not taken in time by the interim government in the summer of 2014. For a summer season to be successful work must have been started the previous year. That is what we did for season 2016 – we started work on it in May 2015, we had meetings with leading tour operators like Thomas Cook, TUI and others operating on the Bulgarian market. So, for summer 2016 we negotiated a 35 percent increase in the number of flights to Varna and Burgas with TUI, more tourists coming from different target markets – one case in point, from 80,000 holidaymakers last summer, in 2016 we are expecting 130,000 with TUI-Germany and a 40 percent increase in the number of tourists coming from Poland. TUI-Austria announced recently that Bulgaria would be their prime destination because of the good value for money and the conditions offered. After talks with the French association of tour operators we shall have the first direct charter flights from France to Bourgas – this means that the French tourists who had been lost to Bulgaria for so long, are now coming back. We are in the process of active talks with Russia.”

After Minister Angelkova met with Oleg Safonov, head of Russia’s Federal Agency for Tourism in Moscow in December 2015, he is to pay a visit to Bulgaria by the end of January. Asked whether any visa facilitation is to be expected for Russian tourists, Minister Angelkova said that the Ministry of Tourism, jointly with the Foreign Ministry had been taking steps to widen the range of groups entitled to free visas from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. “Our proposal is to introduce free visas for children aged under 16, pensioners as well as for groups visiting Bulgaria to attend given events. A decision will be made on these proposals very soon.”

To promote domestic tourism, the ministry is starting a billboard campaign, jointly with municipalities, to present cultural and historical landmarks and sites in different parts of the country. Here is Minister Angelkova about plans in tourism for 2016.

“We shall continue to promote Bulgaria at top sports events – at the forthcoming European Ski Cup in Borovets and Pamporovo, the Olympics in Brazil... We keep track of all sports events so as to be able to do what is best for the country. We shall continue to popularize Bulgaria with the help of different world celebrities – an initiative we started together with Nu Boyana Film Studios.”

Under this initiative in 2015 a host of stars like Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Sylvester Stallone declared: Bulgaria is the place to be! What tourist expositions will Bulgaria be presented at in 2016?

“In March Bulgaria is to take part in one of the biggest expositions in Berlin – ITB. The Moscow expositions – Intourmarket for the regions and MITT for professionals in the sector, in Ukraine, London and the biggest exposition in Spain – FITUR, the EMITT in Turkey are all a must. We are covering all European markets to boost tourist flows, not forgetting prospective markets like China, Japan, India, USA or the Middle East – parallel with our target markets we shall also endeavour to develop prospective markets, so that in 3-4 years’ time we may be able to pick the fruit of our labour.”

English version: Milena Daynova