Representatives of the tourist industry in Bulgaria are expecting the Bulgarian Presidency to have a positive effect on the country’s image as a tourist destination, to boost revenues in tourism and to bring in more guests from abroad.

The Bulgarian Presidency is a great opportunity to promote the country as a travel destination, says Rumen Draganov, Director of the Institute for Analysis and Assessments in Tourism. Sofia, but other cities like Plovdiv, Veliko Turnovo, Varna and Bourgas also stand to gain a great deal from the string of events connected with it.

“The number of tourists is growing, as are the average revenues per available room and the average bed occupancy. Demand will go up. The country will complement its image in terms of quality of the tourist product. The appraisal usually rises during and after such a large-scale event, as, on the one hand, it is proof that the country in question is capable of handling the organization of a major event, and on the other, from the viewpoint of interest in the destination as such, other events will opt to come here, like congresses, conferences.”

Draganov says he expects that there will be over 40,000 guests coming during the 6 months of the Presidency, and that includes the participants in the events themselves, but also the people accompanying them. In his words, we can also expect a number of accompanying events, generated by the fact Bulgaria has taken over the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

“Businesses are expecting the Presidency to promote the image of Bulgaria,” Daniela Stoeva from the Association of Bulgarian Tour Operators and Travel Agents says and adds that she is hoping the country will become more recognizable as a destination. “That is why we must do our best to have positive examples and news from Bulgaria in the European media.”

Congress event organizers can certainly expect positive results, though they do have apprehensions. The influx of people coming for a specific reason other than tourism makes catering for ordinary tourists more difficult.

“We are encountering difficulties in accommodating the traditional groups of tourists in Sofia, especially during the periods in which presidency events are more concentrated. There are certain dates which, unfortunately, coincide with the most active high season, making accommodation in Sofia practically impossible, or pushing prices up to unrealistic levels,” says Stoeva.

In her words, besides the European Presidency, another event that will be essential to promoting Bulgaria as a tourist destination will be “Plovdiv – European Capital of Culture, 2019”. It is expected to greatly benefit tourism, which is the reason why the country must start focusing on this upcoming event.

Horizont channel, Bulgarian National Radio

English version: Milena Daynova