site.btaMinister Dinkova: Bulgaria’s Entry in Schengen by Air, Sea Will Facilitate Tourism

Tourism Minister Zaritsa Dinkova Sunday commented for bTV that Bulgaria's entry in Schengen by air and sea will make travel easier for tourists: it will shorten the time for checks by 20 minutes per person, and tourists will no longer have to pass through more distant and inconvenient terminals. She said Bulgarian tourists choose this country, and their numbers grew in summer 2023; the data for the winter season are good, too.

She also said Bulgarian tourism has exceeded the pre-pandemic levels, registering a growth of 4.9% in the number of tourists in December 2023 compared to December 2022. Surprisingly, the number of Italians visiting Bulgaria for a city or weekend trip has grown by 48%. Turkish guests have increased by 22%, Dinkova specified. The exchange of tourists between Greece and Bulgaria is nearly balanced; Greek tourists are interested in Bulgarian winter resorts and spa offers.

Dinkova also commented on the reduced VAT rate for tour operators, introduced during the pandemic and supposed to be in effect until mid-2024. Under EU law, such a rate is a violation, and keeping it further increases the chance of the European Commission sanctioning Bulgaria, it transpired during a meeting of the parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee at the end of 2023. "We are holding talks with Commission representatives [for an extension until the end of 2024], even from an accounting point of view it is not good to make such a change in the middle of the year. We should exit the COVID-19 measures and think ahead and in accordance with the current situation. We have a crisis in the Black Sea region - the war between Russia and Ukraine - that continues longer than expected. That puts the business of Bulgaria and Romania at risk in terms of competitiveness. The business community is managing by sheer force of will. The cohesion policies should be applied preventively," Dinkova argued.