site.btaMinister Dinkova: Bulgaria Will Host Meeting of Tourism Ministers of Italy, Spain, Greece

Tourism Minister Zaritsa Dinkova Wednesday met with her Italian counterpart Daniela Santanche on the sidelines of the FITUR International Tourism Trade Fair, Dinkova's ministry reported. After the meeting, Dinkova said: "At the end of May, we plan to hold a meeting to discuss security, cooperation and development of tourism between Italy, Spain, and Greece. Minister Daniela Santanche has already confirmed her presence by expressing desire to also join the flamenco festival organized by Shabla Municipality, which will be held in early June."

Santanche confirmed that Mediterranean cooperation is extremely important for all countries in the region. "We consider Bulgaria an important partner and we will work together for security and peace, because that is very important for tourism. I will be in Bulgaria at the end of May." She underscored that they work extremely well with the Bulgarian Tourism Ministry and with Minister Dinkova, in particular.

Santanche expressed strong interest in the SPA services offered by Bulgarian tourism, noting she would personally get acquainted with them.

Dinkova explained Italian tourists' strong interest in Bulgaria with the good air connectivity. That interest is expected to grow once Bulgaria joins Schengen by air and water in late March. Data for the January-November 2023 period show that Bulgaria was visited by 138,641 Italian tourists, up by 36.5% from the like period of 2022. The preliminary results for December 2023 show an increase of over 45% year on year.

The Tourism Ministry's data show that Italy is among the preferred destinations for Bulgarian tourists. Over 247,000 Bulgarians visited that country between January and November 2023, which is well over the pre-pandemic levels, Dinkova noted.