site.bta Tourism Minister Angelkova Talks at EC High-Level Conference "Attracting Investment in Tourism"

Tourism Minister Angelkova Talks at  EC High-Level Conference  "Attracting Investment in Tourism"

Brussels/Sofia, April 5 (BTA) - Speaking at the High-Level Conference on attracting investment in tourism organized by the European Commission, Bulgarian Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelkova said that tourism is one of the leading industries in Europe, which still is the most visited continent. If this is to continue, the EU should take concerted action and its Member States should start acting more as partners rather than as competitors, the Tourism Ministry quoted her as saying.

The forum was opened by Elzbieta Bienkowska, European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. Participating were Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Corina Cretu, Commissioner for Regional Policy, MEPs, ministers of Member States, academics and tourism representatives, among others.

Tourism generates about 13 per cent of Bulgaria's GDP, 3 per cent more than the EU average. That is why the government sets a clear priority on the tourism industry and aims to attract larger investments and ensure greater competitiveness, said Angelkova.

More than 26,000 companies operate in tourism in Bulgaria, most of which are small or medium sized. At the same time, the prospects are great because foreign tourists number 7 million, the same as the country's population, Angelkova said.

In conclusion, she called for greater integration of the tourism industry at EU level. "The latest developments showed that tourism is strongly dependent on security, which calls for concerted action," she said.