site.btaBulgarian SPA Tourism Union Wants Bulgarian, EU Legislation Synchronized, so that European Health Insurance Funds Can be Utilized

Bulgarian SPA Tourism Union Wants Bulgarian, EU Legislation Synchronized, so that European Health
Insurance Funds Can be Utilized


Kyustendil, West Bulgaria, December 25 (BTA) - The Bulgarian
Union of Balneology and SPA Tourism (BUBSPA) wants Bulgarian and
EU legislation to be synchronized, so that European health
insurance funds can be utilized, reads a declaration, presented
by BUBSPA President Stefan Sharlopov here during the Union's
Governing Council recent meeting.

BUBSPA and the Economy Ministry took part in a round-table
discussion about current topics, related to the successful
development of Bulgarian balneo and SPA products, he said.

Sharlopov noted that a declaration will be sent to the newly
appointed Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelkova, which demands the
synchronization of legislation related to medical tourism from
Europe to Bulgaria.

No such thing exists right now. The health and economy
ministries have not made any attempts in this direction, he
said, adding that there was no Ministry of Tourism until now.
This should be an important task for the non-government sector
as well, together with the Ministry, so that they can jointly do
what is needed for Bulgaria to become Europe's health
territory, Sharlopov said, explaining that this country has all
the reasons for this.

According to BUBSPA's President, the new Tourism Act is
nonexistent without the necessary ordinances. "We are starting
something which we have been talking about in the past five
years. We will provide an opportunity to use Europe's health
insurance funds - something the Czechs and Hungarians have
already done," he said. Europe's health insurance funds are full
of money and what the Bulgarian SPA and baleno tourism
facilities needed are the legal grounds to attract Europeans and
have their expenses covered, Sharlopov explained.