Acting Minister of Tourism Stela Baltova takes office

It will be among the top priorities in our work to ensure the normal course of the summer season via the regulation, categorization, and control procedures, as well as effective marketing of the national tourism. This was stated by the new, acting Minister of Tourism, Assoc. Prof. PhD Stela Baltova, upon her assumption of office. She took over the post from Nikolina Angelkova during an inauguration ceremony at the institution.

The acting Minister of Tourism Stela Baltova stressed that she will continue dialogue with businesses and with all on whom transformation of each element in the sector into a crucial growth factor for Bulgaria’s economy depends. She commented that the summer season must be provided for in an efficient, complete, and high-grade manner.

Stela Baltova thanked the Ministry team for its contribution to the institution’s establishment and gave assurances that she will work to continue the institutional development in the forthcoming term of office. She added that she would pay attention not so much to the number of international tourists but to the quality of tourism services marketed in Bulgaria.

The hitherto Ministry leader, Nikolina Angelkova, thanked each of her team members for positioning the tourism as a national priority and a driver for the economy via joint efforts – a place that this sector is truly deserving of. According to her, an evidence of the said contribution were the results achieved in 2016, which were record-breaking throughout the history of tourism in our country – over 8,2 mil. International tourists, according to data of the National Statistical Institute, which is an over 16% growth compared to 2015. According to information of Bulgarian National Bank, revenues from international tourism during the January-November 2016 period also boast excellent rates by exceeding BGN 6,164 bil. (EUR 3,151 bil.), the growth being over 15% vis-à-vis the same period of last year, with the December data expected to confirm the upward trend.

Angelkova wished the new minister to work so well as to exceed these achievements, which would confirm our country’s positive image as an increasingly attractive and recognizable destination. She emphasized that Stela Baltova has huge teaching experience in the sector, which will enable he to build on the achievements in the sector.