site.btaBulgarian Deputy Minister of Tourism Takes Part in 110th Meeting of European Travel Commission Board of Directors

Deputy Tourism Minister Irena Georgieva took part in the 110th European Travel Commission (ETC) Board of Directors Meeting and the 106th ETC General Meeting in Tenerife on November 22-24. The meetings marked ETC’s 75th anniversary, the Bulgarian Tourism Ministry reported on Tuesday.

Bulgaria is a member of the Board of Directors, with a term until the end of 2023. During the meetings, the participants discussed ETC’s planned new initiatives and what has been done so far. "The efforts of the Bulgarian Government and Tourism Ministry are aimed at seizing every opportunity to promote Bulgaria as a safe destination and to foster the development of tourism so that it either reaches or surpasses the 2019 levels," Georgieva said.

She added that in the 2023 summer season, domestic tourism has already surpassed the 2019 levels, and inbound tourism has reached a 90% recovery rate. Deputy Minister Georgieva also said that the ETC needs to direct special attention to promoting Bulgaria and Eastern European countries, which are directly affected by the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.

In a joint initiative with the ETC and the European Commission, Bulgaria will receive the support of a world-renowned consulting firm to develop a Tourism Crisis Management Strategy.

The event, which was co-organized by Spain’s National Tourist Office, Turespana, saw record participation, bringing together leaders of 33 European national tourism organizations and ministries, as well as associate members of the ETC from the private sector.

The European Travel Commission was established in 1948 to promote Europe as a travel destination and to advocate the importance of tourism for peace and prosperity on the continent.