site.btaBulgarian Tourism Represantatives Discuss Sector's Food Quality Problems

The food quality problems faced by the tourism sector in Bulgaria were discussed by representatives of industry organizations and institutions at a roundtable held at the BTA National Press Club in Sofia on Friday. The event was organized by the Affordable and Quality Food Association.

The participants in the roundtable expressed regret that there was again a lack of interest from the Ministry of Education, which should play a key role in preparing quality staff for the business.

Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association's Board of Directors Co-chair noted the worrying fact that Bulgarians have an inbuilt trait to criticize everything, to value the foreign and to belittle the achievements and merits of the native. “When we talk about whether Bulgarian food is tasty, we should pay attention to the Bulgarian producer”, Dimitrov said.  The State should support Bulgarian vegetable production and create opportunities for Bulgarian produce to be sold in Bulgaria as a priority, not abroad, and Bulgarian restaurateurs should not be forced to buy imported vegetables of lower quality, he added.

Bulgarian Association of Restaurants (BAR) President Richard Alibegov said that the price set by many Bulgarian producers is unaffordable for the industry, and the final price would be unaffordable for customers. Labour from abroad is more expensive, untrained and with language barriers. There is no better chef than the Bulgarian one, and the quality of food in the small resorts on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast is excellent, Alibegov argued. "There is no support from the State for the tourism sector, and it must be understood that it is very important, it is the face of Bulgaria. Even in the latest version of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, submitted to Brussels, not a single penny is earmarked for tourism development. Nobody has talked to the business, nobody has been interested in what are the problems we are facing", the BAR President added.

The Executive Director of the Association of the Fish Products Producers, Yordan Gospodinov, said that most tourists visit Bulgaria for food tourism, and it is crucial that the State pay attention to it. He added that this country has reached the highest level of quality and safety of fish and fish products.

Tatyana Nikolova of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency said that it is important that restaurants offer quality and safe food, and it is the responsibility of the business to ensure this.  

The conference was attended by representatives of Affordable and Quality Food Association, Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, University of Food Technologies Plovdiv, Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association, Association of the Fish Products Producers, National Revenue Agency, Commission for Consumer Protection.