site.btaBulgarian Tour Operators Voice Concern over Institutional Response to Middle East Crisis

Bulgarian tour operators and travel agencies have expressed serious concern about what they describe as a lack of coordination, transparency and timely institutional response to the crisis following the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East on February 28, the Bulgarian Association of Travel Agencies (BATA) said in a press release received by BTA on Thursday.

BATA’s leadership said that immediately after receiving information about the escalation, the local partners of Bulgarian tour operators promptly provided the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and consular services with lists of Bulgarian citizens present in the affected areas. However, only on March 2, in the late afternoon, did the institutions request the data to be resubmitted in a specific format, which led to delays and additional tension in communication. 

Further confusion among tourists was caused by information circulating that the United Arab Emirates would cover accommodation costs for foreign nationals. It later turned out that this information was inaccurate, the association said. 

The organization also pointed to particularly worrying reports that Bulgarian citizens on site were being treated differently depending on how their trips were organized. Tourists who had travelled independently to countries in the Middle East were reportedly treated as a priority, while Bulgarian citizens travelling through tour operators were left to organize their return themselves, including at the expense of the tour operators.

According to BATA, such a practice is unacceptable, especially in conditions of military hostilities and immediate risks to citizens’ safety. All Bulgarian citizens should be treated equally and receive the same institutional support, the organization said. 

BATA added that there is currently no official, centralized information about the organization of potential extraordinary or “rescue” flights for the return of Bulgarian citizens. Affected individuals are receiving information mainly through media reports, which is unacceptable in a crisis of this scale, the Association said.

Tour operators are calling for clear and timely communication with the tourism sector and affected citizens, public disclosure of a concrete action plan, equal treatment of all Bulgarian citizens regardless of how their travel was organized, institutional accountability in cases of unverified or inaccurate information, and the development of an effective mechanism for responding to future emergencies.

On Wednesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Velizar Shalamanov said that the work of the task force dealing with the situation in the Middle East is organized around the clock. The team is carrying out an operation focused on assisting every Bulgarian citizen who is experiencing difficulties returning home, Shalamanov said, adding that staff at the taskforce respond to all calls and emails.

An attack by the United States and Israel against Iran on Saturday triggered widespread flight disruptions in the Middle East and beyond after several countries closed their airspace and three key airports linking Europe, Africa and the West with Asia suspended operations. Hundreds of thousands of passengers were stranded or rerouted.