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Minister Angelkova: A Bulgaria tourism forum in Beijing is being arranged for 2018
The Minister held a work meeting with the China ambassador in our country to coordinate the large-scale event with EU involvement
A high-level tourism forum is being arranged between Bulgaria and the People’s Republic of China, which will be held in Beijing in spring 2018. For that reason, the Minister of Tourism, Nikolina Angelkova, held a work meeting today with HE Zhang Haizhou, extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the People’s Republic of China. We are planning to hold the event during Bulgaria’s presidency of the EU Council, explained Minister Angelkova, indicating that this is another way to highlight the EU-China 2018 European initiative, which is dedicated to tourism („2018 EU-China Tourism Year“).
The intention is for the forum in the Chinese capital to give a significant boost to the development of tourism between the two countries. Bulgaria will also invite to the event representatives of both the European Commission and neighbouring countries, announced Minister Angelkova to her guest. The forum was discussed in Budapest during the 6th meeting of heads of state and government of the Central and Eastern European countries and China („16+1“) last month, where the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Boyko Borisov, met his China counterpart, Li Keqiang.
The Bulgarian delegation for next year’s forum in Beijing will include representatives of tourism businesses and of all sectors of the economy. The idea is for tour operators in both countries to start actual joint projects. Minister Angelkova and Ambassador Zhang Haizhou also discussed the opportunity for direct flights to be opened between the two countries.
Also contemplated is the opening of a Bulgarian tourism information centre in Beijing, further announced Minister Angelkova, explaining that it would be the second one, after the first such centre was opened in September in the financial capital, Shanghai. HE Zhang Haizhou stated that it is a very good idea and recommended that Bulgarian centres cooperate with the local tourism organizations.
The Chinese state bestow great significance to bilateral relations in tourism with Bulgaria, said HE Zhang Haizhou. He commented that PRC will take concrete steps to promote our country as a 4-season tourism destination, also noting that an exchange of visits of Bulgarian tour operators to China and of Chinese organizations and tourists в Bulgaria is planned as a part of of the Bulgaria forum preparation.
HE Zhang Haizhou committed to assist in future joint initiatives and in the arrangement of joint events in our country and in China.
During this year’s first 10 months visits of Chinese tourists to our country were over 24 000, thus registering a 44,5% growth compared to the same period of 2016. Also positive are data about travels of Bulgarians to China. During the January-October 2017 period they grew by 12,7 per cent.
