site.btaGolden Apple for Plovdiv: European Capital of Culture 2019

Golden Apple for Plovdiv: European Capital of Culture 2019

Plovdiv, Southern Bulgaria, September 10 (BTA) - Plovdiv Mayor Ivan Totev received the Golden Apple award at a special ceremony in Plovdiv Friday evening. The distinction is awarded by the World Federation of Travel Journalists and Writers (FIJET) and was presented by FIJET President Tijani Haddad, former Tunisian minister of tourism.

The ceremony was attended by Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelkova, Bulgarian association of journalists and travel writers (ABUJET ) President Maxim Minchev, ABUJET Secretary General Plamen Starev who chairs the La Pomme d'Or award committee.

"I find it extremely gratifying to attend this ceremony, and there is an Oscar in cinema, tourism has its Golden Apple, the highest distinction for development of the tourist industry which Plovdiv received," Minchev said in his address. Established 60 years ago, members of FIJET include brilliant representatives of Bulgarian culture such as Valeri Petrov, Bogomil Rainov and Nikolai Haitov, Minchev added. In his opinion, the membership of this organization today includes some of the most famous Bulgarian journalists and writers who do their best to popularize Bulgaria as a tourist destination every day.

The award is annual and its bearer is chosen by a committee by clear and strict criteria. These include that the site should have a considerable contribution to the development of tourism and economy not only in its region and country, but also beyond. Plovdiv won because its respects its own history, it respects civilization and puts in efforts to preserve the cultural and historical heritage, Starev says. The fact that the city has already been chosen as European Capital of Culture 2019 was not overlooked either. In addition, Plovdiv features in a number of prestigious rankings, including the one for the oldest "living" cities in Europe and the world.

Addressing the assembly, Angelkova said that the efforts to develop tourism in Plovdiv are visible, even judging only by the results and the number of tourists Ц 240,000 tourists have visited Plovdiv in January-July 2016, a 13 per cent increase year-on-year.

Since 1970 the Golden Apple has been awarded to over 50 recipients, the last of which was the city of Moscow. Plovdiv also hosts the World Meeting of FIJET members, hosting journalists from France, Great Britain, Romania, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Tunisia and Bulgaria who will write about the city and publish their articles across the world.