The Ministry of Tourism was awarded at the fair in Moscow

The Ministry of Tourism was presented with a special certificate for active participation and presentation during the International Travel Fair INTOURMARKET-2017 in Moscow, Russia. Bulgaria is present with a national stand at one of the biggest international travel fairs.

INTOURMARKET-2017 is organized with the collaboration of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture, the Federal Agency for Tourism, the Russian Union of Travel Industry, the Association of the Tour Operators in Russia and other leading structures in the field of tourism.

This year our country is presented at the INTOUMARKET fair with a national stand of 128 sq.m. Presented in the framework of the national participation are traditional and new tourist products, offered on the Russian market to strengthen and extend the positions of Bulgaria as a tourist destination. Presented at the stand are the municipalities of Varna, Burgas, Nessebar, and Bulgarian tour operators working on the Russian market.

The Minister of Tourism Stela Baltova was a formal guest and took part in the opening ceremony of the fair. She had talks with V. Mutko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation in charge of sports and tourism. The two sides stated their willingness to further cooperation in the field of tourism and the deputy prime minister underscored the strong performance of Bulgaria at the travel fair and its popularity among Russian tourists as an attractive and calm place for vacation.

Minister Baltova had a meeting with Oleg Safonov, Director of the Federal Agency for Tourism. She thanked him for the good partnership with the Federal Agency for Tourism, for the personal support by Oleg Safonov to the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria in the conduct of events in Russia and expressed willingness for a more active cooperation with the tourist administration and with all regional structures in the sector, the tourist business and the Russian media. She underscored that Russia was one of the main tourist partners of Bulgaria and our country ranked among the top ten destinations in 2016 preferred by Russian tourists who chose their vacation themselves.

Minister Baltova stressed the fact that Bulgaria treated with respect and care its guests from Russia, the Russian tourists and the Bulgarian administrations and tour operators ensured safety, competitive prices, best value for money, high professionalism in the services provided to Russian tourists.

Oleg Safonov underscored the desire of the Russian side to continue cooperation with our country and increase the exchange of tourists between the two countries. He noted the interest of Russians in the tourist opportunities offered by Bulgaria, and that besides the traditional sea and ski vacations Russian tourists were already seeking cultural and information, historical and patriotic, and balneological programmes. In the first months of 2017 there is a higher interest in the organized vacations in Bulgarian child camps. Also discussed were opportunities for joint projects in the field of tourism.

The two parties considered serious options for intensive exchange of tourists, rapid development of Bulgarian tourist products and expanding their penetration on the Russian market. Minister Baltova highlighted the serious plans of the ministry to promote Bulgaria in the Russian regions. Oleg Safonov offered cooperation from the Federal Agency with the participation of Bulgaria for the regional tourist forums, conferences, presentations, seminars.

Minister Baltova invited all interested Russian regions to take part in the travel fairs and forums in Bulgaria, and explained that this could provide good opportunities for establishing new business contacts between Bulgarian and Russian companies in the field of tourism.

Olga Yarilova, Director of Tourism directorate at the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, informed Minister Baltova  at the meeting during the fair that the Russian side planned to conduct  large-scale “Days of the Russian  Culture in Bulgaria”, which are to start in June 2017 with a large Bulgarian-Russian tourist forum in Sofia.

Also fruitful was the meeting of Minister Baltova with the Deputy Director of FAT Roman Skorii, which rendered a positive assessment of the joint work on the started cultural, information, historical and patriotic programmes targeted at youth audiences in Bulgaria and Russia and it was decided that a relevant work programme was to be developed.

Meetings with the Governor of Altay Region А. Karlin, the Minister of Tourism of Kaliningrad Region А. Ermak, the Executive Director of the Ural Tourism Association M. Maltsev, the heads of  tourist  administrations of Samarska and Tambovska regions, Altay Region, revealed great potential for strengthening the work for attracting tourists from the Russian regions.  

A key event in the framework of the Bulgarian participation in INTOURMARKET-2017 was the Bulgarian-Russian round table with subject “Health and recreation – modern trends in the development of tourist services”, organized by the  Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation. Discussed were topics of mutual interest in the field of bilateral relations – opportunities for development of balneological rehabilitation tourism in Bulgarian resorts, offering even more attractive tourist packages to Russian and Bulgaria tourists with the active collaboration of our tour operator associations and travel companies. In addition, discussed were the issues of strengthening cooperation in the field of child vacations in the Bulgarian Black Sea and balneological resorts, development of cooperation in the field of cultural and historical tourism by creating joint projects, offering tourist packages for pilgrimage tours and development of religious tourism.  

​Participants in the round table were the Minister of Tourism Stela Baltova, the Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Russian Federation Boyko Kotsev, the Deputy Director of FAT Roman Skorii,  the Executive Director of the Association of the Tour Operators of Russia M. Lomidze, the Executive Director of the Ural Tourism Association M. Maltsev, the rectors of leading Russian higher schools educating specialists in tourism.

​From Bulgarian side presentations were made by the municipalities of Plovdiv, Varna,  representatives of the Bulgarian Association of Balneology and Spa Tourism, SOK Kamchia, and Medica-Albena.

The round table became a ground for active exchange of information, presenting many new opportunities in the field of tourism, offered by Bulgaria to its Russian guests.