site.btaUPDATED Representatives of 25 National Associations of Tour Operators from European Countries Attend Forum in Sofia

Representatives of 25 national associations of tour operators from European countries were gathered by the Association of Bulgarian Tour Operators and Travel Agents (ABTA) for a two-day international forum with the participation and partnership of the state and local authorities, represented by the two largest municipalities in Bulgaria - that of Sofia and Plovdiv, ABTA said. 

This is the most large-scale and prestigious event for Bulgaria organized by the European Travel Agents' and Tour Operators' Association (ECTAA), an organization that unites the tour operators of Europe. The organizer of the two-day forum is ABTA, the only representative of Bulgaria in the international structure. 

The meeting is the culmination of the series of events organized in 2024 in which Bulgaria was announced by ECTAA as a preferred destination.  Advertising messages, newsletters and webinars presented to European tour operators the diverse possibilities of Bulgaria to attract tourists in all seasons, including cultural, spa tourism, wine tourism and other types of specialized trips. 

During the forum on Thursday, on the eve of the long-awaited establishment of a tourism guarantee fund in Bulgaria, European experts will present their experience and point of view. In connection with the upcoming entry into force in mid-2025 of the European Accessibility Act, experts from ECTAA will explain how it is important for travel intermediaries and what their tasks are to harmonize accessibility standards within the European Union. Other topics will include how to manage risks and crises in tourism with special emphasis on climate-related risks; how tourism sometimes turns into "super tourism" and whether the consequences of this phenomenon threatens the development of the sector. 

The second day of the forum will be devoted to problems that are being solved by the European Commission and the European Parliament.

The ECTAA meeting is the first such event in Sofia in 15 years. It presents tourism professionals with the opportunity to discuss the most important and current topics for the tourism industry, as well as to see Bulgaria up close during a short information tour after the official part of the event is over. The event is a good chance for Bulgaria to present to European tour operators the opportunities for tourism that it offers in all seasons, to introduce them to its rich cultural heritage, the rapidly developing specialized types of tourism . and to declare its ambition to establish itself as a leading and preferred European destination on the world map, ABTA pointed out.

The main message that Bulgaria will deliver during the event is that this country can be a preferred destination for all European tourists because of the many types of tourism that can be practiced all year round, said Deputy Minister of Tourism Irena Georgieva, who took part in the opening of the two-day international forum. "We strive to get out of the paradigm of a cheap tourist destination," Georgieva added.