site.btaBulgaria to Be Advertised on Billboards in New York City - Tourism Minister

Varna, on the Black Sea, July 22 (BTA) - Bulgaria will be advertised on billboards in New York City, said here on Saturday Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelkova, who took part in a meeting of the National Tourism Council at the Golden Sands resort. The billboards will be placed at key locations in the US' most populous city, the Minister explained.

The billboards, which will be put up this fall, will feature information about Bulgarian cultural and historical sites. In addition to New York City, Bulgaria will also be advertised in Boston, Washington, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The national tourism advertisement programme for 2018 should be ready by September, Angelkova said. According to preliminary data, the planned advertisements will cost some 30 million leva. There will be talks with the Finance Ministry to see whether the money can come from the budget.

The focus of Bulgaria's national advertisement next year will be on the main target markets, from which the most tourists come, the Minister explained. According to her, Bulgaria will be advertised in prospective markets as well, such as China, Japan, India, the Middle East, the US and Canada. Angelkova said that the emphasis is put mainly on digital marketing and advertisement, and various online activities.

For the first time Bulgaria will present part of its cultural and historical heritage in a 3D image during the tourism exhibition in London this November, she explained.

In addition to an increase in the number of tourists this year, Bulgaria has also registered an increase in revenues, Angelkova said. She noted that tourism revenue between January and May stands at 1.5 billion leva, which is 15 per cent more compared to 2016. This trend comes to prove that, although slowly, a growing number of wealthier tourists are starting to come to Bulgaria. The expected increase in the number of tourists this summer is between 7 and 10 per cent, while revenues are projected to go up by 8-11 per cent, the Minister added.