Minister Nikolina Angelkova and the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Crețu opened a conference on tourism development and security

17 June 2016

Tourism is an essential pillar in the economies of the countries of the Danube region. In the last year over 132 mln. foreign tourists visited the countries of the region. This inevitably brings the issue for a better cooperation in all fields, so that we can ensure the sustainability of these results and their improvement. This was said by Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova in her opening speech in the conference “Sustainability of Tourism Development and Security in the Danube Region” today in Ruse.

„For a second consecutive year Bulgaria is hub for generating ideas and discussing topics related to the development of the Danube region", pointed out Minister Angelkova and reminded that in the preceding year Bulgaria organized a large-scale event entitled “Sustainable Tourism through Cooperation with European Funds and Investments”, which was opened by the General Secretary of the World Tourism Organization Taleb Rifai. “This year the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Crețu has personally attended the conference, which is a high appraisal of both the importance of the Danube strategy for the European Union and the Bulgarian role in it", added Nikolina Angelkova.

“Our country has a huge potential to stimulate the sector development in the Danube region”, she said. Seven large regions fall within the Bulgarian part of the Danube region – Vidin, Vratsa, Montana, Pleven, Veliko Tarnovo, Ruse and Silistra. Nearly half a million of tourists were accommodated within their territory in 2015 and the revenue is over 8 mln. BGN. The Minister further said that the cruise visits are also of great importance for the region and this year Bulgaria expects 340 visits of cruise ships in Ruse.

The European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Crețu commented that the issue of safety is crucial for the Danube region and for visiting tourists. She was emphatic that the sense of lack of safety should be eradicated, because safety and security are essential when it comes to choosing a tourist destination.

Mrs. Crețu stressed the fact that each 5th European citizen lives and works in the Danube region, which is inhabited by more than 112 mln. of inhabitants and added that 1 Euro out of 10 Euros in the domestic products of the EU comes from tourism. The Danube region has always been a safe destination and we must keep working in this direction, especially taking into account the international situation, the European Commissioner added.

Vasile Danku, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Regional Development and Public Administration of Romania, pointed out the importance for the countries of the Danube region to adopt common decisions for expanding the contacts in order to create a regional identity and a common Danube brand, which could turn the region into a recognizable tourist destination.

After the opening of the conference, Minister Angelkova, Commissioner Crețu and Deputy Prime Minister Danku visited “Baba Tonka” High School of Mathematics in Ruse to get acquainted with the results of the project entitled “ICT – a force for change in education” co-funded by the Cross-border Cooperation Programme Romania – Bulgaria 2007 – 2013. Various specialized classrooms were equipped and modernized under the project.

Various officials took part in the conference: Deputy Minister of Tourism Irena Georgieva, Plamen Stoilov - Mayor of Ruse Municipality, the Governor of Ruse Regional Administration Stefko Burdzhiev, Denitsa Nikolova, Deputy Minister of the Regional Development and Public Works and National Coordinator of the Danube Strategy, Andrey Novakov, Deputy in the European Parliament, Nikolae Barbu, Mayor of Gyurgiu Municipality, Romania, Christopher Imbsen, Deputy Regional Director for Europe at UNWTO World Tourism Organization and over 100 representatives of almost all countries of the Danube region, ambassadors, regional and local directors, enterprisers, representatives of the academic community, of the non-government sector etc.

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