site.btaKyustendil Showcases Vibrant Diversity of Life in Bulgaria’s Smaller Towns, Says BTA Director General

Kyustendil is an example that even in smaller towns in Bulgaria there is a diverse life that is constantly developing, said BTA Director General Kiril Valchev during a local conference as part of BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project. The conference took place at the BTA National Press Club here on Thursday.

He pointed out that the Kyustendil Spring competition is not a holiday by chance, as this is the time designated for the awakening in spring, when nature most visibly shows its creativity and diversity. Valchev recalled that BTA's presence in the town is such a creative story as it is due to the wealth of news from the town, adding that several important initiatives of BTA have been associated with Kyustendil in recent years. He gave the example of the 16th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media in 2021, the LIK magazine dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Dimitrov - The Master, as well as the annual Cherry Festival, which BTA traditionally promotes and which has its roots from the first fruit-growing exhibition in Bulgaria in 1896.

Valchev emphasized the opportunities offered for combining balneo tourism due to the mineral waters in the region with winter and summer mountain tourism, adding that these are the reasons why Kyustendil representatives are always invited to the BTA-organized BG TOURISM forums, which are held twice a year. "Think about how many other European towns of the size of Kyustendil cannot boast of such a variety of opportunities for their residents. Therefore, this entire palette of diverse opportunities for the people of Kyustendil (...) need more visibility in order for the town's young people to stay here", he pointed out.

Kyustendil is part of the general national and European conversations organized by BTA thanks to its National Press Club, which was opened on April 3, 2014, Valchev said. The Press Club moved in 2024 and today is housed next to the Vladimir Dimitrov - The Master Gallery and the house-museum of Dimitar Peshev. Valchev stressed that thanks to the team of two correspondents, 500 more news articles were published about the town in 2024 than in 2023.

Valchev noted that BTA has tripled its national press clubs since 2021 and has preserved and developed the 14 press clubs opened over the previous 18 years. Currently, BTA has a total of 42 national press clubs, which are also correspondent offices. "We usually hear that Bulgaria receives money from the EU and what remains in our minds is that we Bulgarians are the ones who only benefit from our participation in the EU, but the truth is that the EU also benefits from Bulgarians, just as it benefits from other European nations. The point of these conferences is to showcase this contemporary contribution," Valchev said.

BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project aims to raise public awareness and foster open dialogue about cohesion policy, local achievements, and the implementation of the EU's policy priorities. The project kicked off with a conference in Veliki Preslav in November 2024. The schedule of conferences until the end of September 2025 includes events in the following cities: Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kazanlak, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Razgrad, Ruse, Samokov, Svishtov, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Troyan, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen, and Yambol. Cross-border conferences will be held in Belgrade, Bosilegrad, Bucharest, Edirne, Skopje, and Thessaloniki. The project builds on the Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future and Europe in Bulgaria: A Common Future projects, implemented by BTA in 2023 and 2024, respectively.