site.btaOutgoing Minister Borshosh Stresses Urgency of Debate on Tourism Act Amendments

A debate on national resorts and amendments to the Tourism Act is extremely urgent, outgoing Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh said at an off-site meeting of the parliamentary Committee on Tourism in Pamporovo on Saturday. Borshosh called for discussions on the legislative amendments proposed by the Ministry - related to the development of mountain resorts - to take place as quickly as possible, noting that the current parliament is still functioning. The chair of the committee, Desislav Taskov of the BSP–United Left parliamentary group, said that the proposed amendments would be reviewed at the committee’s meeting next week.

Borshosh noted that one of the key challenges in 2026 is the resumption of talks on tourism development and on legislative changes linked to the construction of new infrastructure in mountain resorts. He explained that the Ministry’s vision and proposals have already been submitted to the National Assembly and that, within a few months, a new solution could be found to unlock the development of mountain tourism.

The outgoing minister noted that mountain tourism is among the more developed segments of Bulgaria’s tourism product, but that the gap is significant when compared with leading winter destinations in Europe. He said that Bulgaria has fewer than 200 kilometers of ski runs, while countries such as Italy, Austria, and France have a combined total exceeding 5,000 kilometers. According to Borshosh, this is a serious lag, despite the efforts of businesses and local authorities to maintain a competitive winter tourism sector.

He added that, for the first time, all proposals for legislative amendments put forward by representatives of the tourism industry and non-governmental organizations have been consolidated. There will be a broad debate in which differing viewpoints will clash - from extreme positions calling for a complete ban on interventions in the mountains to arguments in favor of making use of existing potential. In Borshosh’s view, the solution must be found between these two extremes and should answer the question of what kind of development is being sought for Bulgaria’s mountains, in terms of accessibility, environmental protection, and the management of tourist flows.

The outgoing minister said that the forthcoming decisions could change the way tourism in Bulgaria’s mountains develops, without undermining their integrity and without compromising environmental standards and requirements.

Attending the off-site meeting were Tourism Ministry representatives, Chepelare Mayor Boran Hadzhiev, Smolyan Mayor Nikolay Melemov, Smolyan Deputy Regional Governor Krasimir Daskalov, the management of Pamporovo AD, hoteliers, and representatives of tourism industry organizations. In Borshosh's words, such meetings allow the legislative branch to become familiar firsthand with the real problems faced by the tourism business and municipalities.