site.btaMinister Dinkova Optimistic for Upcoming Summer Tourist Season

Outgoing Tourism Minister Zaritsa Dinkova expressed optimistic expectations for the upcoming summer tourist season regarding the visits of foreigners to Bulgaria. She added that more concrete data is expected at the end of March. Dinkova attended the opening of Holiday and Spa Expo at Inter Expo Center on Wednesday.

During the opening ceremony of the event, Dinkova  said that early registrations on the UK market marked a 70% increase, and there is already a 30% increase for 2025. There is also growth in preliminary registrations on the German market (20 percent), the development of the Spanish and Italian markets is also significant. The realized tourist nights in the country for 2023 were 12% more compared to the previous year, the Minister also said, adding that  that the interest in Bulgaria is increasing both because of the continuous improvement of Bulgarian tourist offers and the successful reforms, and because Bulgaria has something to offer the world.

"We are working on the Scandinavian markets and those in Central Europe, we hope that at some point Israeli tourists will also begin to return," Dinkova told journalists. "If I receive the consent of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, I would personally attend the exhibition in Tel Aviv," she noted. 

Joel Randriamandranto, Minister of Transport, Tourism and Meteorology of the Republic of Madagascar, whose country is a partner of the exhibition, presented the island at the event.  He said that the first charter flight from Bulgaria arrived in Madagascar in November 2023, and the next one is expected on March 19. Madagascar also offers many opportunities for investment in the tourism sector with great potential for sustainable and responsible development, whether it is the construction of eco-houses in the national parks, luxury tourism or the development of sea and river cruises, said Madagascar's Tourism Minister.

In addition to the Holiday and Spa Expo , the  furniture exhibition Expomebel also started in the Inter Expo Center. The tourist exhibition will continue until March 15, and the furniture exhibition - until March 16.

More than 200 companies from Europe, Asia and Africa participate in the Holiday and Spa Expo. The jubilee 40th edition features exhibitors from Bulgaria, Madagascar, Great Britain, Turkiye, China, Greece, Serbia, India, Mongolia, Mauritius, Maldives, Dubai, Finland. The forum is held with the support of the Ministry of Tourism.