New Tourist Venues Flourish in Bulgaria Amid 'Concerns' about Business Challenges

New tourist establishments and hotels are emerging in Bulgaria, despite widespread concerns about the challenges of operating a tourism business in the country. Recently, Minister of State Evtin Miloshev announced the issuance of over 100 new certificates for food and entertainment venues, as well as accommodation and spa centers, according to his press office.

Interestingly, the minister also noted that the failure of Ivelin Mihailov's "Historical Park" (Mihailov gained prominence with the recent phenomenon in Bulgarian politics: the "Greatness" party) does not appear on the list of officially registered tourist attractions. Evtin Miloshev highlighted that this unregistered site has received awards from the Ministry of Tourism five times in various categories during the "Annual Awards" competition. In the social media program "Why, Mr. Minister?", he explained that while he has not personally visited the attraction, an investigation revealed that the "Historical Park" does not qualify as a tourism entity under the Law on Tourism due to its lack of official registration. Such anomalies—where an unregistered site receives government accolades—are unique to Bulgaria.

Of the more than 100 activity certificates recently signed by the interim Minister of Tourism, 94 pertain to accommodation and food service establishments. Most of these newly categorized venues are located along the Northern Black Sea coast. Additionally, 15 certificates have been granted for balneotherapy, spa, and wellness centers.

These certificates are issued following assessments to ensure that the respective establishments meet the required standards for providing balneotherapy, spa, or wellness services.