site.btaTourism Minister Says "Months and Years Have Been Wasted" for Euro Changeover Information Campaign

Bulgaria is behind schedule in implementing its information campaign for the euro changeover, and "months and years have been wasted", Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh said here Tuesday. He was among the speakers at a discussion on Bulgarian tourism and Bulgaria's accession to the euro area, organized by the National Tourism Board under the Tourism Minister's patronage. 

He also said that "populism has been one of the biggest employers" in Bulgaria in recent years and that the entry in the eurozone is frequently attacked "with inadequate arguments which lean more toward excessive emotionality rather than realism".

Eurozone entry can be described with strong words, including "the ultimate dream" or "ultimate necessity" or "a new stage in the national development" but more than that it is something very real that will affect all Bulgarian people, the Minister argued.

In her opening remarks, Polina Karastoyanova, the head of the National Tourism Board, reiterated that eurozone entry is the Number One priority for the government and would be a dramatic change for the Bulgarian society and economy. "We believe firmly that it will be a key factor for improving the competitiveness of the Bulgarian tourist products," she said.