site.btaCabinet Adopts Programme Worth BGN 5 Mln for Marketing of Tourist Services

The Council of Ministers adopted on Thursday a Programme for financing marketing of tourist services in the Black Sea municipalities in Bulgaria, the press service of the cabinet said. The total amount of funds for the implementation of the Programme is BGN 5 million, financed from the State Budget through the budget of the Tourism Ministry.

The budget of a project may not exceed BGN 400,000. The financial assistance to be granted under the Programme shall be 60% of the total project budget. The remaining 40% of the funding for the implementation of the project shall be provided in the form of the beneficiary's own co-financing.

The main target group of potential beneficiaries are local administration structures of the target area and tour operators that use air carriers with a valid operating license to perform charter flights to Bulgaria for tourism purposes.

Only applicants who were registered before January 1 and were in business in 2021 and 2022 are eligible under this call for proposals.

According to a report of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Bulgaria is in the top ten in terms of growth in number of foreign tourists and growth of revenues from foreign tourists. On the first indicator, in the first quarter of 2023 there was a 27% growth compared to January-March 2019 (sixth place), and on the second - a 21% growth (tenth place).