In the spirit of the saying, popular in Bulgaria, that “people are judged by their clothes when they come and by their minds when they go”, and on the eve of the Day of Sofia, 17 September, a team of urban enthusiasts decided to clad Bulgaria’s capital city in modern apparel for the incoming foreign tourists as they take their first steps on Bulgarian soil. As of 17 September, a new interactive installation at Sofia airport’s Terminal 2 will provide an answer to the questions: What are the most recognizable symbols of the city, and what do we want foreigners to remember Sofia by?

“#soWelcometoSofia is an introduction for all tourists coming to Sofia who know nothing about the city,” says Yana Stefanova from the team of the platform #soSofia in an interview with Radio Bulgaria. “They will be able to find out what they can see and experience in the capital city in all of its variety – antiquity, its young face and the multitude of green areas. It will also furnish intriguing facts and provide advice about the more emblematic spots, landmarks and symbols of the city.”

The massive installation will be put up in the arrival area of Terminal 2, right before passengers pick up their luggage. In the designated zone there will be a video wall, a tall tower with the word Sofia on it, which will move, changing fonts taken from the street signs. An interactive screen will allow anyone wishing to, to answer several questions and be given a personal itinerary, depending on their interests, on what they want and expect of the city. The installation will be entirely in English because it is targeted primarily at the guests from abroad. The information on the soSofia.com platform is much more detailed and will be posted in Bulgarian.

“The project was given a start with a sociological survey with the participation of students from the sociology department of the St. Kliment Ohridski University in Sofia. With the help of the students we were able to select 30 sites and divided them up into three categories – old, young and green Sofia. Old or ancient Sofia is the centuries-old legacy all around us – the Largo and the Roman complex Serdica, the national gallery, the St. Alexander Nevski cathedral, the Central Baths, the central covered market etc. Young Sofia offers advice where to go to have a good time in the city, and the places that have become landmarks of young culture. 

Green Sofia – we have so many magnificent parks in the very heart of the city, we have also included Mount Vitosha which is the pearl in the crown of the city with all of its mountain shelters, waterfalls and eco-trails which offer a “green” experience just a few kilometres from the heart of the city.”

According to a 2021 social survey by Global Metrics, tourist interest in Sofia is high but people know little about the city’s cultural wealth and diversity. According to the same survey, 72% of foreign tourists come to Sofia for the first time, mostly because flights are cheap and because they are interested in a new destination, and they obtain their knowledge of the city mostly online.

“This is the conclusion we reached in the years of our research, different initiatives and our involvement in the drafting of the strategy for the development of Sofia. On the whole, the data show that there is a great deal of interest and many people come to Sofia. Bulgaria is a very convenient location to visit in combination with other destinations, but the level of knowledge of the city is very low. That is why we focused on these three spheres because we believe that the city is very interesting precisely because it has such diverse opportunities to offer to the different groups of tourists of various age, interests and expectations. We have also selected some emblematic historical sites, which we are sure visitors are going to recommend to their friends down the line,” Yana Stefanova says.

Meanwhile, together with traveler and photographer Martin Grahovski, the #soSofia team is working on a short film about Sofia with details about all 30 sites included in the project. 

“We believe it is going to be a really nice calling card for our city,” Yana says. The #soWelcometoSofia installation is going to remain at Sofia airport until the end of the year as a reminder of how hospitable Sofia is and how many different experiences it has to offer.

Vessela Krasteva

Translated and posted by Milena Daynova

Photos and video: sosofia.com