Minister of Tourism Dr. Ilin Dimitrov: “Today, Varna is taking flight”

At an official ceremony featuring a water arch, a Boeing 737-8 aircraft belonging to Europe’s largest tour operator, TUI, was named “VARNA”

For the first time in Bulgaria’s aviation history, a naming ceremony was held at Varna Airport for an aircraft, which was named after the seaside capital – “VARNA”. The Boeing 737-8 is owned by Europe’s largest tour operator, TUI, and the Minister for Tourism, Dr Ilin Dimitrov, acted as its godfather. “Today, Varna is taking flight, and we will be able to play an increasingly active role on the international stage,” Minister Dimitrov said.

The ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Varna Blagomir Kotsev, the Regional Governor Mario Smrkov, the CEO of TUI Group Sebastian Ebel and representatives of the company's senior management, as well as the CEO of Fraport Twin Star Airport Management Michael Reusch.

Varna was chosen to host the annual TUI management meeting with the participation of over 150 managers from different parts of Europe. "The name of our sea capital will fly over Europe as an ambassador of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. The goal of the Ministry of Tourism is to double the number of tourists traveling to Bulgaria through the leading European tour operator by the end of 2030 and reach 400,000 people per year," Minister Dimitrov said.

TUI Group CEO Sebastian Ebel described the naming of the aircraft as an emotional moment and emphasized the potential of Varna and Bulgaria to attract more tourists. "For me, this is something very special and I believe it will be special for our guests as well, because they will learn more about Varna. Bulgaria has an excellent tourism offering with a long history, which is now modern and evolving,” Sebastian Ebel emphasised.

After the ceremony, a memorandum of long-term cooperation between the Ministry of Tourism and TUI Group will be signed, which will take place at the Evksinograd government residence.