site.btaMinister Dimitrov Presents Tourism Sector Development Programme

At a news conference here on Wednesday, Tourism Minister Ilin Dimitrov presented a Programme for the Development of the Tourism Sector. He said it was aimed at reforming the sector and resolving the problems that have accumulated over the years. 

The Programme is structured in five strategic pillars. The top priority is connectivity, which means improving the infrastructure leading to the national resorts and cultural and historical landmarks, Dimitrov explained. The Programme also envisions a fund to support airlines and land transport with the participation of municipalities, the aim of which is to attract new air carriers and compensate for the increase in fuel prices. The Minister also highlighted the need to optimize and refine the way in which the tourist tax is spent in municipalities.

The second pillar of the Programme is accessibility, which includes work to speed up visa issuance procedures, strengthen capacity and the number of employees in key destinations and during active months to avoid "backlogs" when applying.

Staffing and quality are the third pillar, with the goal of rebranding the profession and changing the image of the tourism sector among young people, workers and students with the help of the media and influencers. In the field of education, Minister Dimitrov indicated that he will support the ​​creation of an Association of Higher Schools for Tourism Studies. The connection between business and education for better quality internships will also be strengthened.

The Programme's fourth pillar is advertising and marketing, with large advertising campaigns on social networks, radio and television for the domestic market and aiming to attract automobile tourists from neighbouring countries. Another idea is the creation of a mobile application "Visit Bulgaria" for the promotion of cultural sites and direct sale of tickets for museums, theatres and transport. Work will also be done to attract international forums of the rank of Giro d'Italia and Eurovision as well as applying to host the largest tourist exchanges in the world - ITB Berlin and WTM London.

The fifth pillar is related to the material base, financial instruments and environment. Dimitrov pointed out that a change in the regulatory framework is forthcoming, so that the existing food vouchers can also be used for tourism, emphasizing that this is a budget-neutral measure. Outdated regulations will also be updated, including the Regulation on the Categorization of Accommodation Places and the Tourism Act. 

Dimitrov also indicated the creation of a Tourism Reform Council, which is expected to become operational in July. In it, the Ministry together with representatives of other departments and the business community will work on changes to the outdated regulatory framework and the development of a working Act on the Guarantee Fund for Tour Operators.