Balneology and SPA Tourism Union Ambassador: Tourism Staffing Problems Deepen after Bulgaria's Partial Accession to Schengen

Momchil Rusev, Stanimir Dimitrov

Bulgarian Union of Balneology and SPA Tourism (BUBSPA) Ambassador Meglena Plugchieva at a panel within the 11th annual congress of BUBSPA in Burgas, September 9, 2024 (BTA Photo/Hristo Stefanov)

Burgas, on the Black Sea,

09.09.2024 19:56

(BTA)

Bulgaria has everything it needs to offer an excellent tourism product, Bulgarian Union of Balneology and SPA Tourism (BUBSPA) Ambassador Meglena Plugchieva said at a panel within the 11th annual congress of BUBSPA taking place in Burgas (on the Black Sea) on Monday. "But we and tourists from third countries face the difficult problem of inflexible and slow procedures for issuing tourist visas, she added.

The panel was also attended by representatives of the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bulgarian Hospital Association. Issues related to attracting tourists and hiring workers from third countries were discussed.

Plugchieva pointed out that after Bulgaria's partial accession to Schengen (by air and water) the problems regarding the recruitment of staff from third countries in the tourism sector have deepened.

"It is true that the capacity of our consular services, for a number of reasons, has declined in recent years. In some countries, the number of staff cannot absorb the flow of applications that need to be processed," Plugchieva explained. She noted that the procedures for issuing work visas, which are coordinated by several Bulgarian institutions, also take a long time, for which better coordination between them is needed.

"Another issue is the problem with official statistics, which show that after we joined the "air Schengen" workers from third countries use our country as a "stepping stone" to other countries, most often in Western Europe. 40% of these workers who have arrived in Bulgaria have already left. One more problem should be added - the companies our country works with to recruit workers rely only on registration regime. The institutions are facing the issue of changing this regime," Plugchieva added.

/DS/