site.btaTourism Minister Dinkova in Istanbul: Better Transport Connectivity between Bulgaria and Turkiye Means More Tourists

Popularising Bulgaria as an year-round destination among Turkish consumers is among the Tourism Ministry's priorities, Minister Zaritsa Dinkova said at a bilateral meeting with Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Huri Ersoy in Istanbul on Friday. "Bulgaria has the entire spectre of seasons and experiences needed for tourism of the best quality. Sustainable cultural tourism is an essential part of regional development strategies," Dinkova noted, as quoted by the Bulgarian Tourism Ministry.

In the last years, Bulgaria has been leading a successful dialogue with Turkish representatives in transport, separate carriers, and airport operators to improve bilateral transport connectivity. Dinkova expressed certainty that very soon, regular flights will be launched between Sofia Airport and Istanbul Sabiha Kogcen International Airport. In her words, good connectivity undoubtedly means stability. According to the latest data, the number of Turkish tourists in Bulgaria grew by 16% in the first half of 2023 compared to the pre-pandemic 2019.

The Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism said his country too considers the increase of transport connectivity extremely important. He expressed satisfaction with the completed expansion of the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing's capacity. Increasing the number of flights of Bulgarian airlines will contribute to a bigger tourist flow, he noted, adding that should the Bulgarian side have any requests in that direction, he commits to personally attend to them.

The bilateral meeting between the tourism ministers of Bulgaria and Turkiye was part of Dinkova's official welcome in Istanbul. Her visit is related to the opening of the 4th session of the Bulgarian-Turkish Tourism Committee. On the delegation led by Dinkova are representatives of the Bulgarian tourism business (Tourism Business Union Bansko, Pamporovo AD, Albena AD, Suntours BG, and the Future for Tourism Association).