site.btaSofia Municipality, Montenegrin Delegation Discuss Joint Tourism Campaigns

The Ministry of Tourism hosted a meeting between representatives of Sofia Municipality that included Sofia Municipality Deputy Mayor Vanya Tagareva, Sofia Municipality Deputy Mayor Nikola Barbutov, Municipal Councillor Anna Stoykova, and a delegation representing the Government of Montenegro comprised of Tourism Minister Simonida Kordic and Transport Minister Maja Vukicevic, the Bulgarian Tourism Ministry reported here on Monday. The meeting agenda included opportunities for joint promotion of the region as a tourist destination, with the focus being placed on the authentic and diverse culture, history and cuisine.

During the meeting, Sofia was presented as one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the region. More than 1.2 million tourists, mostly from Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, Turkiye, Greece, Spain, England and Israel, visited the capital in 2024. Attracting visitors from distant destinations, through coordinated efforts and cooperation was highlighted as a common goal and priority for both Bulgaria and Montenegro.

In February 2025, Sofia will host the B40 initiative, which will bring together the mayors of the Balkan capitals. B40 promotes cooperation and experience sharing in the network of over 70 Balkan cities as a basis for stability in the Balkans and Europe. This year's forum will focus on improving transport connectivity in the region, a key factor in facilitating tourist travel.

Kordic emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts between institutions and businesses, as they are the key to improving tourism.

At the end of the meeting, Bulgaria's Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh said that both Sofia and the other Balkan capitals have great potential for development as leading destinations, attractive for both established and new markets.

A meeting on the Bulgarian Tourism Ministry's initiative was held in Sofia on Friday, to mark the beginning of talks on Destination Balkans and the creation of a common tourism product and direct air connectivity between Sofia and Podgorica, the Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism reported on Saturday.