US Ambassador Encourages Bulgarians to 'Discover' America

US Ambassador to Sofia, James Warlick, says his country is like a magnet for Bulgarian travelers. Photo by BGNES

In the last ten years, the number of Bulgarians traveling to the US has increased by 75%, US Ambassador to Sofia, James Warlick, points out.

The Ambassador spoke during the opening of the exhibition entitled "Travel USA" at Hall 6 of the National Palace of Culture in Sofia. The exhibit is organized in partnership with the US Embassy-Sofia and AmCham Bulgaria to promote travel and tourism to the US.

Warlick further said that after Europe, the US is the country the most visited by Bulgarians. He did not give exact numbers, but joked "the US is like a magnet for Bulgarians."

"Come and discover America," the diplomat stated, giving as example several natural wonders one must visit when traveling in the US such as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, the Niagara Falls, East California or the Arizona desert with its splendid night sky.

"The US is not just Washington DC, New York or Las Vegas, there is Hawaii and Alaska as well," the Ambassador stressed.

The US Vice Consul, Kimberly Atkinson, joined in to explain the visa granting process, saying it is easy, contrary to what many Bulgarians believe.

"It is all online, the application process and the scheduling of the interview do not take more than 30 minutes all while in 2010, only 16% of the applications have been rejected and 84% of tourist visas approved," Atkinson stated, adding that most of the above said visas are valid for 10 years, meaning their holder has the opportunity to visit the US on a number of occasions.

Las Vegas is the top destination for Bulgarians, closely followed by New York City and San Francisco, according to the Consul.

It was also revealed that in mid-May, Ambassador Warlick will head on a so-called "business road show" in the US to tour American cities such as Chicago, Huston, Phoenix, and San Francisco, and present to local potential investors opportunities for doing business in Bulgaria.

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