The Minister of Tourism Stela Baltova in an interview for "24 Hours" daily newspaper: Berlin and Moscow are interested in Bulgarian wellbeing tourism

Assoc. Prof. Stela Baltova, Minister of Tourism: Berlin and Moscow are interested in Bulgarian wellbeing tourism

Interview of Minister Stela Baltova for "24 Hours" daily newspaper - 16.03.2017

Expected 10% growth in Russian tourists for 2017, cruises to Bulgarian ports and Crimea on offer  

- Assoc. Prof. Baltova, you got very good news at the international travel fairs in Berlin and Moscow. What summer season can we expect?

- An active summer season is ahead of us. It will be successful, and the next one could be even more successful when the quality of our tourism is good. The data received from my meetings with tour operators on the German market are very positive. Some of them share that a 35% growth can be achieved. So far the official data of DER Touristik (the tour operator brought 130,000 tourists from Germany alone in 2016) shows a 26% growth in 2017 compared with 2016.

- The two-digit growth is serious for tourism?

- Yes, the exhibition in Berlin was very successful. At the stand of Bulgaria there were 7 municipalities – the Association of Danube River Municipalities, we presented the EDEN destinations. We showed Bulgaria as building partnerships. This has to be formulated as a national policy. At the meetings with the tour operator Thomas Cook it became clear the complaints from our country were less than 2%, we agreed with TUI to train here our hotel specialists, there will be regular flights with French tourists soon.

- What do Europeans search in Bulgaria, only the sea?

- Our sea tourism is the top product for the German market. However, they are also strongly interested in health and rehabilitation vacations or so-called well-being, which helps improve the body and the spirit.

- Were there talks that this could be funded from German health insurance funds?

- That’s right. German tour operators are ready to work together in order to attract German health insurance funds to send their nationals for rehabilitation to Bulgaria. The talks are set to begin at state level and public-private partnerships with business could be gradually established in order to be present together on the German market. And on the Scandinavian market, too. The businesses that took part in the exhibition in Germany were extremely active in meetings and partnerships. The stand of Bulgaria was absolutely modern. At a meeting with the director of the travel fair ITB – Berlin I requested our stand to be extended to 500 sq.m. next year and the location of Bulgaria to be changed because 2 years ago the organizers changed the location of Bulgaria for economic reasons. Next year we mark the 50^th anniversary of our country’s participation in this exhibition – we are among its founders.  These were the arguments for requesting a better location at the exhibition.

In Berlin I had a very fruitful meeting with the Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization Taleb Rifai. I posed a single and acute problem – that of the labour force, and we agreed to address it together. We do not have bus drivers, waiters, and chefs. The tourism business is feeling the strain. We have wonderful infrastructure but who will take care of the tourist.

- The business is hiring foreign workers for internships...

- Yes, but 3 months are not enough, our season is at least 5 months. After Berlin I gave clear instructions for action. The discussions went extremely well, but to me it is important to develop what has been negotiated.

- With your Berlin luggage you go directly to the other important fair – in Moscow. What is the news from there?

- We have this market and we will have it. Russian tourists are not very likely to return to Turkey at present. Bulgaria expects a 10% growth from this market.

In Moscow I spoke to Oleg Safonov, the head of the Federal Agency for Tourism. He confirmed again his meeting with Bulgaria, but had to change his schedule for that reason. I expected to see an extremely solemn man and he was very friendly. We did not discuss politics at all. I said that the Russian tourist was significant for Bulgaria because he sought quality and high-category hotels.

In Moscow all say that the Russian tourist expects cultural-patriotic tourism from Bulgaria.

They focus on child vacations with foreign language study. Kamchia is thought of as Eden by Russians. To be honest, I wanted to announce something, after it is discussed at high level, but Safonov himself stated the intention of a cruise through the Bulgarian ports, and in Russia it could pass through Crimea and Turkey could be included as well. They expect our operative decision. Safonov paved the way for my meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Mr Vitalii Mutko. He sees a serious potential in their relations for tourism in Bulgaria.

This week I will announce a new call for conceptual design for the stands of our exhibitions – we should be innovative. This is remembered, more digitalization, place for business at the exhibitions. After 2007 extraordinary things happened in tourism.

Let’s show them!

With the heads of tourism of Ural and Altay regions we negotiated exchange of trainees. From Kaliningrad region were interested in gourmet tourism in Bulgaria. Altay even proposed exchange of technologies for production of yellow cheese. And of course, wellness vacations.

- What happens with the beaches – there are appeals of concessions. Appealed is also the Single Tourism Information System which was to connect the registers of the hotels to NRA, MoI.

- This procedure had been suspended before my taking office but my ambition is to restart it in the caretaker cabinet’s term of office. The STIS is my first priority. It should go live in September or October 2017.

The tasks for the beaches are serious. A call for public procurement for the monitoring of beaches will be launched. The teams are ready for inspections.

At present there are 53 effective concessions. Until 1 March I signed 4 contracts for concession of “Sveti Vlas - Nov plazh”, “Obzor-Yug”, “Kamping Oasis” and “Dyuni-Yug”.  The leased beaches are 65, and in few days contracts will be concluded for “Kamping Veselie”, “Estuary of Veleka River”, and “Tsarevo – Vasiliko”. By the end of March there will be a second tender for the beaches “Ofitserski-Zapad”, “Popski Plazh Sever” and “Nesebar Sever” and “Nesebar Iztok”.  I terminated the tender for “Nov plazh – Balchik” because of procedural breaches.

I am glad to say that in order to improve tender documentation we set up an intergovernmental group which gave proposals. So far the tenderer had declared it would not change the proposed prices per umbrella and deckchair for the period of the lease. The new tender documentation states that “the lessee shall offer umbrellas and deckchairs at prices not higher than those proposed thereby in the offer and they may not be increased in the contract”.

- In other words, the prices can only decrease?

- That’s right. We increase the members of the commission – they will be 5 now, including experts of the Council of Ministers.

- And what about concessions?

- I will not authorize any more concessions, the time for completing the procedure is not sufficient. This is a sensitive topic. The most important thing now is to prevent concern among businesses and tourists.

We have urgently initiated the water rescue ordinance – to recognize training of lifeguards from other institutions, not only from the Bulgarian Red Cross, an option is created to hire foreign lifeguards, their working hours can be changed depending on the intensity of the beach.

- How long did you consider whether to accept the position of minister of tourism, Ms Baltova? – Very little

- How were you invited?

- They asked me whether I agree to give my telephone number to the president’ team because he wanted to invite me to a meeting with him. I have had interesting moments in my life but never have been invited by the president. To be honest, I thought that they would task me with making analysis and a study on tourism. At the meeting I had a catalogue of the university at which I work. President Radev, he had not taken office yet, was interested in my opinion on the country’ economic development, on the beaches, there was no discussion of politics at all. And the proposal came. He expected an answer...

- Immediately?

- Well, he gave me a certain margin of tolerance till next day.

- How did you sleep then?

- I have a sound sleep, but I am also an emotional person. I discussed the matter with my employer and my family. I took it very seriously.

And I accepted.

***

CV

• Born in 1961, graduated from the French Secondary Language School in Sliven with gold medal

• 1988 – graduated from the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy in Sofia; continued her education at the University of North Alsace, France; a master of digital marketing

• 2002-2005 was on diplomatic mission as economic advisor, head of commercial and economic section in Copenhagen, Denmark

• 2007-2009 was Deputy Chairperson of the State Agency for Tourism

• Assoc. Prof. in economics of business services. Teacher at the International Higher Business School of Botevgrad

• Fluent in French, English, Danish and Russian, uses Portuguese