site.btaUPDATED Tourism Minister: No Dramatic Increase in Holiday Costs during Winter Season
Tourism Minister Zaritsa Dinkova Saturday said that there will be no dramatic increase in holiday costs during the winter season. "We expect a good tourist season. There will be no dramatic rise in holiday costs. Everyone will be able to find a service that suits their needs and means," she told bTV.
Speaking at the official opening of the winter season in the mountain resort town of Bansko (Southwestern Bulgaria), Dinkova said that the 2022/2023 winter season was 13% stronger than the 2019 season, adding that there were 1.8 million tourist registrations recorded. She noted that the weather conditions are auspicious and the number of bookings is high.
In her words, the Tourism Ministry is adopting timely measures to mitigate the negative impact of the military actions in the Middle East. "Bulgarian tourism products are marketed to the UK, Ireland, Scandinavian countries, and neighbouring states. We are promoting Bulgaria as a four-season destination through digitalization," Dinkova added.
As to the state budget, she said that her Ministry has BGN 2 million more compared to 2022. "Through constant talks with the Finance Ministry, we managed to keep the 9% VAT rate for restaurant-owners until the end of 2024 and for tour operators until June" Dinkova said.
"We are working very well with winter resorts. We are planning interesting initiatives before the world ski and snowboard events and we are showing that tourism is becoming increasingly competitive. Investments in innovation and new technology are needed to attract more tourists," the Minister added.
At a press conference after the official opening of the winter season in Bansko, Dinkova said she will start working on developing a roadmap for sustainable tourism as early as January 2024.
/VE/
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