Minister Angelkova: Greece is number one generating tourist market for Bulgaria

Greece is the top generating tourist market in Bulgaria from January to September this year.  Our country was visited by about 900 thousand Greeks, marking an increase by over 10%, Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova announced at her meeting with her Greek colleague Elena Kountoura at the Bulgarian stand during the international show WTM in London.  In 2016, Bulgaria was visited by 1 million Greek citizens, marking an increase of 9.7 % on the previous year. Thus our Southern neighbour ranks second by number of visits.  Greece is also a lead market for travel abroad of Bulgarians, Minister Angelkova said.  She explained that last year Greece was visited by over 1.2 million Bulgarians, up by 15.1 per cent.

During the meeting ministers Angelkova and Kountoura discussed various joint initiatives.  Discussed were the possibilities for a joint tourist product or destination, to be used for promoting the region to distant and promising markets like China.

As regards joint projects between Greece and Bulgaria in the field of tourism, a programme with horizon in 2018 has been adopted.  It includes exchange of information about exhibitions in the two countries, cooperation in winter, congress, religious, cultural and historic tourism and other types of tourism.  The document provides for support of the private sector and possibilities for investment and public-private partnership.  The responsible ministers agreed on setting up a working group of experts who will work for greater interaction between Sofia and Athens in tourism.