Nikolina Angelkova meets Mayors from Sofia region

The Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova held a meeting with the Godech mayor, which was also attended by mayors from Sofia region. "Tourism is a horizontal policy and we need to actively cooperate with local governments in order to promote its sustainable development", Minister Angelkova said. It was announced during the discussion that last year a total of nearly 285 000 tourists spent nights in categorized accommodation facilities with 10+ beds in Sofia, a circa 19% growth compared to 2015, according to NSI data. The overnight stays generated during the same period were over 712 000 (a circa 20% growth), with the revenues generated exceeding BGN 27 million, an over 24% growth.  

Minister Angelkova highlighted the specifics and significance of local tourism and added that an announcement of the investment map in tourism was forthcoming, involving over 153 municipalities, and said she was hopeful that the next edition would cover all Bulgarian regions. She also reminded that many local governments state their desire to take part in various marketing activities in the sector and have already supported the initiative for the I Love Bulgaria mobile platform to promote tourism attractions in our country, which was initiated by the Ministry last year.

We will continue to support these efforts of local governments jointly with the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works because they will be eligible to apply under Operational Programs Regions in Growth and other programs with socialization projects for tourism venues and attractions, Nikolina Angelkova added. According to her, this would make such attractions more accessible, visited and attractive.

The Godech Mayor, Radoslav Assenov, emphasized that the municipality has a lot of potential for tourism development, which is yet to be fully developed. According to her, the city and its environs can be developed as a cultural-historical destination, attracting more tourists both from the country and from abroad.

Setting up a folklore festival of culture and traditions of municipalities from Sofia region was also discussed during the dialogue. All attendees were unanimous that the idea would attract a lot of followers and would be transformed into a highlight of the local culture calendar.