site.btaBulgaria's National Tourism Representation Joins Russian Tour Operators Association

Bulgaria's National Tourism Representation Joins Russian Tour Operators Association

Moscow, March 14 (BTA) - Bulgaria's national tourism
representation became a member of the Russian Tour Operators
Association, Bulgarian Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelakova said
 on Saturday, as quoted by her Ministry. The accession is an
acknowledgement for Bulgaria's important place on the Russian
tourism market and an indication of the high regard of the large
 Russian tour operators for Bulgaria as a travel destination,
Angelakova said, speaking at a news conference during
Intourmarket, the international travel fair in Moscow.

This year Bulgaria is using 200 square metres of exhibition
space at Intourmarket.

Despite a decrease in 2014, Russia is still the fourth largest
sending country for tourists to Bulgaria with an annual flow of
650,000 tourists, accounting for 9 per cent of international
tourists visiting Bulgaria, Angelakova said. Measures are
already in place to relax the Bulgarian visa procedures for
Russian travellers, she said.

Sofia is also drawing up a charter flight programme which will
hopefully become effective in 2016, the Minister said. This
needs to be coordinated with the European Commission's
Competitiveness Directorate-General. The programme will apply to
 the periods from March to June (the lead-up to the summer
tourist season) and from October to December (before the winter
tourist season).

Russia is traditionally among the top five sending countries for
 tourists to Bulgaria and the Bulgarian government is working
specifically to create good conditions for Russian
holiday-makers, Angelakova said. She noted that the Tourism
Ministry and the Foreign Ministry are considering additional
measures to relax the visa regime for Russian pilgrims visiting
Bulgaria. There are 4,200 monasteries and churches in Bulgaria
which are included in interesting tours, she said.

Despite the bankruptcy of travel companies over the years, not a
 single Russian tourist has had to cut short their stay in
Bulgaria thanks to the efforts of Bulgarian tour operators,
Angelakova said.

Experts say that Bulgaria also offers the best conditions for
Russian children who want to spend their holidays abroad, she
added. The flow of Russian children visiting Bulgaria as
tourists increased by 30 per cent in 2014, according to the
Bulgarian Embassy in Moscow.