On the eve of the winter season, the Caretaker Minister of Tourism Assoc. Prof. Stela Baltova and the Head of State Rumen Radev talked with the tourism business in Bansko

Bansko is one of the faces of Bulgarian tourism. Therefore, it is of great importance to preserve the nature in the area so that it can be most effectively used for the development of tourism and the economic opportunities of the city. This was stated by President Rumen Radev during a meeting with the Mayor of Bansko Ivan Kadev and representatives of his team, which was attended by the Minister of Tourism Stela Baltova and the Regional Governor of Blagoevgrad Nikolay Shushkov. Later, they participated in a meeting with representatives of local authorities, businesses and members of the public from the region.

The financial investments in tourism are insignificant against the background of the investment policy of the state, but they are of great importance for the development of many economic spheres, the President emphasized. According to him, in addition to establishing Bansko as a European destination for winter sports, the region has huge potential for the development of cultural, historical, spa, culinary and mountain tourism.

Tourism was one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic, but it can become an engine for the country’s economic recovery, said Minister Baltova. She stressed that the recovery of the sector continues thanks to the efforts of business and socio-economic measures taken by the state to support it.

Representatives of local authorities and businesses pointed out the significant limitations in the conditions of a pandemic as the main problems. One of the negative consequences of them is the significant increase in unemployment in the region, due to the quarantine and blockade imposed last year on the city, which is the economic center of the region. They also called for the timely announcement of the health measures that will be applied during the upcoming winter tourist season, as well as for the access of foreign tourists to Bulgaria. The issues of providing timely assistance to the business due to the increase in electricity prices, as well as the construction of a second line of the gondola lift of Bansko in compliance with all environmental requirements were also raised.

Easing the visa regime for foreign citizens, charter flights and stepping up the fight against unfair competition in the tourism sector were also among the measures proposed by the business during their meeting with the head of state, Minister Baltova and representatives of municipal and regional authorities.

Minister Baltova stated that the Ministry of Tourism maintains constant contact with the tourism business and makes every effort to bring the sector out of this unprecedented situation in which it is placed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to her, Bansko is a leading destination for ski tourism in Bulgaria and a year-round place for recreation and vacation. She cites data according to which from the beginning of 2021 to the beginning of September inclusive, more than 170 thousand tourists from Bulgaria, Romania, Israel, Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Greece, France, the Czech Republic and etc., and the number of nights during the summer months exceeds the same period of 2019.

The Ministry of Tourism is launching an active campaign in the markets from which tourists are expected during the winter season, as well as frequent online meetings with leading tour operators. The campaign focuses on Bulgaria’s opportunities for a safe vacation and the combination of mountain / winter tourism with specialized forms of tourism such as cultural, health, balneal and spa tourism, wine and culinary tourism and others, said Minister Baltova at the meeting in Bansko.

She expressed hope that Czech tourists will return, tourists from neighboring countries are expected, as well as from Israel, Great Britain, Germany, Poland, Ukraine and others. “We are currently working actively to achieve reciprocity with the Israeli market, and the responsibility for the final decision lies with the health authorities,” the minister said. Rescue measures must continue for the sector as they continue to evolve as a function of the rapidly changing epidemiological situation and the respective restrictive conditions imposed by destinations and markets. The official cabinet is working very intensively in this direction, said Minister Baltova.