The National Palace of Culture in Sofia hosted another event of the calendar of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It focused on the problems and the perspectives of the tourism sector.  EU Tourism Ministers, Bulgaria’s Deputy Premier Valeri Simeonov, the EU Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Elżbieta Bieńkowska and Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Zurab Pololikashvili attended the event. Representatives of the countries from the Balkan region also joined the forum.

Three main topics were discussed during the meeting. The first one was linked with the role of tourism as factor for economic growth and integration. In Minister Angelkova’s words, the tourism sector forms over 10 percent of the European Union’s gross domestic product. Bulgaria’s tourism forms nearly 13 percent of this country’s GDP. The revenues from international tourism in all EU member states amounted to over EUR 341 billion in 2016. Official data about the revenues in 2017 has not been released yet, but according to estimates they will exceed the revenues in 2016.

Another important discussion was dedicated to security of the tourism destinations and better advertising which would make Bulgaria more recognizable for foreign tourists. The huge potential of the Chinese market and the opportunities of Bulgaria to attract Chinese tourists were also subject to discussion during the event. Bulgaria’s Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova informed her counterparts that Bulgaria was looking for opportunities to launch a direct airline between Sofia and Beijing and voiced hopes that more details will be announced by the second half of 2018 when the 16+1 CEEC-China summit will be held. The EU Ministers of Tourism were categorical that all member states should work together and advertise Europe as preferred place for recreation and investments. For the purpose, the EU countries will develop and present common tourist packages. Minister Angelkova said that Croatia has already invited Bulgaria to work together in the tourism field and Bulgaria will join the development of the Croatia-Slovenia common tourism package.

Cooperation between the countries in tourism is the key to improving and facilitating the relations in the Balkans. Bulgaria has been working actively in this direction. This is proved by the multiple joined initiatives and projects with Turkey. Bulgarian Days in Turkey and Turkish Days in Bulgaria will be organized. Bulgaria will be also advertised in Turkey as good destination for family holidays.

Bulgaria’s southern neighbor places fourth in terms of the number of foreign tourists visiting Bulgaria in 2017. The number of Bulgarian nationals choosing to visit Turkey for their holidays increased with nearly 7.5 percent, Minister Angelkova pointed out and added:

“Turkey is an extremely important tourist market. Over 636,000 Turkish tourists visited Bulgaria last year. This country is an important partner of ours- in the economy field and in all other spheres the Bulgarian cabinet deals with.”

Here is what Minister Angelkova said about the possible accession of Turkey to the EU

“Each applicant country has to meet a series of conditions and requirements in order to join the European Union. On March 26 Bulgaria’s Premier Boyko Borissov will meet in Varna with The President of the European Commission Jean- Claude Juncker, The President of the European Council Donald Tusk, the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan. They will discuss a number of conditions that have to be fulfilled by Turkey, in order to start EU accession talks.”

English version: Kostadin Atanasov