Bulgarian Tourism Minister: BGN 8.4 Billion are the Revenues from Tourism in 2018

In 2018 the revenues from tourism are BGN 8.4 billion, which is 6% more than in the previous year. For the last three years - since 2015, 34% has been the growth of the revenues from international tourism in the country, Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelkova announced.

She opened in Sofia the Sixth Annual Meeting of the National Tourism Board (NBC) under the motto "2019 - Year of Internal Tourism, Investment and Innovation". In front of the forum, Angelkova reported that for various data, over 9 million foreign tourists who came to Bulgaria in the past year. She stressed that our country aims to develop all its types of tourism, and the goal is to become an established year-round tourist destination.

"Our beautiful facilities will be occupied 365 days a year. But to be able to do all this, a lot of effort is needed, "Angelkova said. She predicts that 2019 will also be dynamic for this sector, and the fight will be "for every tourist".

"The government continues to work to reduce the administrative burden. It is very important to help businesses with reduced administrative procedures. I am proud that the Ministry of Tourism is the first to provide all services electronically in November 2018 in order to save time and resources as much as possible, "said Angelkova. She recalled that there is a change in the regulation on the categorization and re-categorization of accommodation and meals, which are again aimed at reducing the administrative burden and alleviating the business.

The Minister of Tourism noted another important fact - besides the winter and the sea, which are the main types of tourism in our country, Bulgaria is making efforts to develop congress tourism both in Sofia and in the resorts. On May 31, the Ministry of Tourism organized an international investment forum with the participation of many of the big hotel chains and tour operators where it will be proposed to build a congress center in Sunny Beach to host different events.

During the meeting, NBT asked for the tourism advertising budget to be 1% of the revenues generated by the sector annually in the economy of the country.

According to the organization, until now the investments are significantly smaller and this reflects on the competitiveness of our country. "The budget currently set is far from sufficient for the effective implementation of national tourism marketing, disproportionate to revenue, and is significantly lower than that of competing tourist countries," said Polina Karastoyanova, executive director of the NBC.

One of the panels of the conference is devoted to the potential of Sofia to become a center of congress, culture, youth and festival tourism, and in support of this the association will elevate it as the European Capital of Intelligent Tourism for 2020.

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