site.btaIreland's Ambassador Visits Bansko

The Ambassador of Ireland in Sofia Catherine Bannon visited Bansko Municipality on Thursday, accompanied by the Deputy Chief of Mission Fearghal O'Maolagain, Bansko Town Hall said in a press release. Within the framework of her official visit, the Ambassador conferred with Bansko Municipality Mayor Stoycho Banenski and his team and with the Chief of the Bansko Precinct Department of the Interior Ministry Kiril Stoyanov and the head of the Bansko Mountain Rescue Service Unit, Rumen Baryakov.

Bannon expressed her admiration at the region's natural scenery and rich cultural and historical heritage. "Bansko is where the Irish first come in touch with Bulgarians," she shared and thanked the mountain rescuers for their high professionalism and humane treatment.

On January 28 a 29-year-old Irish tourist was seriously injured when he lost his balance and fell from a height of about 600 metres near Banderitsa Hut under Todorka Peak. The tourist was part of a group taking photos against the backdrop of the beautiful scenery. The Bansko Mountain Rescue Service (MRS) contacted the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service, and an air ambulance was dispatched but had to abort the mission and return to base due to a technical failure. The rescue operation nevertheless continued on the ground and thanks to the fast and professional work of the MRS team, the injured tourist was given first aid and transported with a stretcher in a vacuum mattress to Banderishka Polyana, from where he was taken down alive by a snowmobile to the parking lot of the Old Anchor and then to the hospital in Razlog by ambulance, where he succumbed to his injuries on January 29.

The conditions for tourism, the varieties of recreation opportunities and visitors' safety were discussed during Thursday's meeting in Bansko. Special attention was paid to the town's cultural calendar, which makes it an established year-round tourist destination.

The guests from Ireland were strongly impressed by the town's development as a hub for digital nomads worldwide. They committed to act as intermediaries in setting up partnerships with the rescue services and to facilitate the entry of Irish performed in the Bansko Jazz Festival.

Banenski expressed satisfaction with the upward trend in the number of Irish tourist, which has almost trebled in recent years. "Fine cooperation with the Embassy of Ireland and personally with Ambassador Bannon give assurances that this trend will persist," he said.