site.btaUPDATED Over 1,400 Bulgarian Organized Tourists Currently in Middle East, Caretaker Tourism Minister Says

The largest number of stranded Bulgarian tourists is in Dubai, where more than 1,000 Bulgarian nationals are currently located, caretaker Tourism Minister Irena Georgieva told the Bulgarian National Radio on Sunday. The total number of Bulgarian organized tourists in the countries affected by the military conflict in the Middle East exceeds 1,450, she added later on Sunday during a briefing of Foreign Ministry's crisis task force.

Individual attempts to leave the region are not recommended for the sake of tourist safety and security, Georgieva stressed.

Georgieva added that the Tourism Ministry is in constant communication with tour operators and that the number of affected people is continuously changing. She stressed that there are also individual travellers, about whom the Ministry is likewise receiving information.

“We also have Bulgarians who departed on a cruise ship and are currently at a port in Dubai,” she said.

“Tourists should remain in their hotels, avoid going out into the streets for their own safety, and follow the instructions of the local authorities,” Georgieva recommended.

According to her, various plans are being considered, including an evacuation plan for tourists once an airspace corridor is opened.

"We also have information about our compatriots who are stranded not only in Dubai and Jordan, but also in the Maldives, Seychelles, Oman, Tanzania, and probably other countries in this part of the world, who cannot return home due to canceled flights," the caretaker Minister said at the briefing.