site.btaTourism Minister Dinkova Confers with Bulgarian Ambassador in Turkiye Cholakov

The Bulgarian consular services in Turkiye work not only for the security of Bulgaria, but also for the security of the entire European Union. Turkish tourists are extremely important for the Bulgarian market and we will work to ease the process of obtaining visas, but this should not be done to the detriment of security and Schengen regulations," Bulgarian Tourism Minister Zaritsa Dinkova said at the EMITT international exhibition being held in Istanbul, the Tourism Ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.

Minister Dinkova held a working meeting with Bulgaria's Ambassador to Turkiye Angel Cholakov and Vasil Valchev, Bulgarian Consul General in Istanbul. During the talks the Bulgarian diplomats in Turkiye expressed their readiness to facilitate the Turkish tourists who wish to visit Bulgaria.

"We are working to increase efficiency, speed and productivity in the process of issuing Bulgarian visas for Turkish visitors. We have to attack this Turkish market with a lot of ambition and we'll be at your disposal," said Ambassador Cholakov. He also recalled that a BTA press club was recently opened in Ankara. The idea is for it to not just be an office, but serve as Bulgaria's cultural information tourism centre Every Bulgarian resort can advertise its activities in the club itself", he said.  

Vassil Valchev expressed his readiness for the Bulgarian consular office in the largest Turkish city to engage its maximum capacity so that as many tourists as possible have the opportunity to visit Bulgaria. "Schengen, however, is a set of rules that must be observed," Valchev said.