site.btaUPDATED Ovech Fortress Wins National Tourism Award

Ovech Fortress in Provadia, northeastern Bulgaria, won the votes of  Bulgarians in the 8th edition of the annual tourism awards.  The awards were announced at a ceremony in Sofia Thursday. 

The winners were determined through an online vote. Nominations were made in nine categories. Awards in three categories went to the village of Neofit Rilski in northeastern Bulgaria.

In a video address to the participants in the 8th Annual Tourism Awards ceremony, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said that Bulgarian tourism is part of the national foreign policy. In his words, tourism representatives are the face of Bulgaria to millions of European citizens every year, contributing significantly to the country’s success. The 8th Annual Tourism Awards are hosted by Tourism Minister Zaritsa Dinkova and are held under Denkov’s patronage.

The Prime Minister said that the programme, under which the Black Sea municipalities are funded, was highly appreciated and that efforts to develop the tourism sector will continue in the coming years to make it even more competitive with neighbouring countries and markets.

The Prime Minister voiced hope that in a few days Bulgarians will be able to congratulate themselves on joining Schengen. Thus, a huge obstacle for Bulgarian tourism will be overcome, and then the success of the sector in the country will depend solely on the quality of work in the industry and the government.

Following are the winners in the 8th edition of the awards.

In the professional category, the winners are:

Hanat [The Inn] in Neofit Rilski for Tourist attraction/site/event
Bulgarian Golf Tours for specialized tourism
Village of Neofit Rilski for tourist destination
Yurt camping site in Neofit Rilski for innovation.

In the journalism category, the winners are:

The huge potential of rural tourism in Bulgaria, by Antoaneta Antonova Tityanova - Milcheva - for story in tourism in print media
The first voyage of a Bulgarian ship to Antarctica, by Zhivko Konstantinov - for TV journalism
The summer magic of the Bulgarian mountains, by Kristian Ivanov - for journalistic piece on tourism in online media
88 sights and trip ideas near Sofia, by Kristina Patrunova - for blog post

Special Awards of the Ministry of Tourism:

Albena resort - for internationally recognised achievements and sustainable development in tourism
Yettel Bulgaria EAD - for innovation in the field of tourism
Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko - for internationally recognized achievements and innovations in tourism 
hotel chatbot Umni.bg - for innovation in tourism 
Prof. Siika Katsarova, Chairman of the Board of the Bulgarian Union of Spa and Wellness Tourism - for contribution to the development of spa and wellness tourism in Bulgaria 
Blagoy Ragin, Honorary Chairman of the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association - for overall contribution to the development of tourism.

Meglena Plugchieva esd distinguished as Ambassador of Destination Bulgaria for the German, Austrian and Swiss markets.