Deputy Minister

Irena Georgieva

Irena Georgieva graduated in Sociology at St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia with a gold medal for excellent academic performance and active public activity. 
Almost her entire professional path is related to tourism. She has nearly 25 years of managerial experience in this field as a head of travel agencies. 
She has been awarded a number of certificates with such a profile, which makes her an expert with extensive knowledge in the field of tourism.
Irena Georgieva was appointed Deputy Minister of Tourism, which she held in the period February 2015 – May 2021.
Since 2006, she has been a member of the Management Board of the Association of Bulgarian Tour Operators and Travel Agents (ABTTA), and from 2009 to 2013, she was Acting Chair of ABBTA. After that, she was again a member of the governing body of the association until February 2015.
Irena Georgieva is also a recognized international specialist in tourism. She was a member of the Board of Directors of ESTAA (The European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Associations), holding the positions of Director and Deputy Director of the organization, and from 2010 to 2012 she was its President.
She is fluent in Russian, French and English.

Mariela Modeva 

Mariela Modeva was born in Sofia. 
She graduated in Culturology at St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. She has specialization in Applied Cultural Studies (marketing, management and PR) and Journalism. She has acquired a “PhD” educational degree. She is a professor of Public Communications and Information Sciences, longtime lecturer at the University of Library Science and Information Technology and at the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy.  
Since 2019, she has been the director of the Institute for Research and Development of Leadership in the Information Environment. She was a member of the National Council for the Protection of Immovable Cultural Monuments at the Ministry of Culture, advisor to the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works on the protection of immovable cultural property, European programs and projects for cultural tourism, and an expert in the Parliamentary Committee on Culture and Media in the 44th National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria. She is the executive and leading researcher on the issues of specialized tourism in national and international projects. She is the author of over 100 publications. She publishes in scientific journals, referenced and indexed in international databases.
Member of the International Scientific Committee on Cultural Tourism of ICOMOS International.
She is fluent in English and Russian, and speaks Spanish and Italian.