site.btaTour Operators Data Shows Surge in Early Bookings

The partnership that municipalities are building is the added value of this government’s reform in the way Black Sea municipalities are promoted. The results of this reform are already visible as according to tour operators, there is a surge in early bookings, said Tourism Minister Zaritsa Dinkova on bTV. “We do everything we can - we mediate, we stimulate tour operators to present and promote our country,” she added.

Dinkova said that in the current winter season the ministry can congratulate itself for the high interest in this country because "we reacted quickly and on time when the conflict broke out in Israel." Dinkova specified that Bulgaria immediately redirected its advertising to the neighbouring countries and now we have a good number of tourists from the neighbouring markets. She also said that advertising Bulgaria in the UK through a mix of digital marketing and TV advertising on Channel 4 and BBC channels is yielding very good results.

Regarding the upcoming renovation of the airport in Burgas, Dinkova explained that a month ago she had initiated a meeting with the mayor of the city and the airport concessionaire, where the issue was discussed. "We are operating in a business environment and the business and market interest as well as the interest of investors are the leading factors. We as a state can assist local authorities and that was the purpose of this meeting," Minister Dinkova pointed out.

She also said that in terms of the various programmes that the European Union provides, the Ministry of Tourism will take advantage of all the Union's opportunities. "This was also the appeal of all my EU colleagues at our meeting in Brussels - that tourism should take its place in Europe and at policy level," Zaritsa Dinkova stressed.

Bulgaria supports the objectives related to the development of a modern, sustainable and competitive European tourism ecosystem which are set out in the European Agenda for Tourism 2030 and the Tourism Transition Pathway, the minister said at the informal meeting of EU tourism ministers on February 20. She pointed out that Bulgaria encourages the development of new ideas and policies that, in addition to integrating innovative solutions in the sector, contribute to achieving a digital and green transition.