site.btaBulgaria, China Sign Memorandum of Agreement In Tourism

Bulgaria, China Sign Memorandum of Agreement In Tourism

Xi'an/Sofia, June 18 (BTA) - Bulgarian Tourism Minister Nikolina
Angelkova and China's National Tourism Administration (CNTA)
Chairman Li Jinzao signed a Memorandum of Agreement in the field
of tourism between the two institutions. The signing took place
during a working visit of Angelkova /June 18-19/ to attend the
7th UNWTO International Meeting on Silk Road Tourism which is
held in Xi'an, western China. The document was signed less than
three months after Li Jinzao's visit to Bulgaria when the sides
reached such an agreement, the Ministry of Tourism told BTA.

"This is a step forward in our bilateral relations in the
sphere of tourism and it will promote the development of active
partnership between our tourist administrations," Angelkova said
at the signing, as quoted by the press release. Both countries
consider tourism as a priority sector of the economy and will
promote the exchange of joint tourism activities and good
business practices.

The signing of the memorandum puts relations between Bulgaria
and China in the sphere of tourism on a new basis and creates
conditions for increasing tourist flows.

The document provides for the two countries to study the
opportunities to use Chinese social programmes to attract
Chinese pensioners as tourists in Bulgaria. Initiatives for
broader cooperation between the academic communities in Bulgaria
and China will also be promoted, with exchange of student
programmes and internships, including on-the-spot training in
the field.

On a world scale, Chinese tourists number some 107 million
annually and account for an ever increasing share in the total
tourist flow in Europe. Forecasts show that their number in
Europe in 2019 will amount to 12 million.

The sides will exchange information about the development and
implementation of joint tourist routes and products between
Bulgaria and neigbouring countries like Macedonia, Romania,
Serbia, Greece and Turkey. A Bulgarian-Romanian information
centre is currently being established in China, following the
signing of a Memorandum of Intentions between Bulgaria and
Romania.