Tourism Minister Dimitrov Participates in World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit

Jerusalem, 29 November, 2022 (TPS) -- SOFIA,29.11.2022 15:08 (BTA)
The sustainable development of tourism within the context of topical global challenges and policies was a focal point in Tourism Minister Ilin Dimitrov’s statement at the ongoing World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In this respect, Bulgaria will focus on encouraging innovations, attracting new investments and streamlining business processes in the sector, said Dimitrov, as quoted by his ministry Tuesday.

Bulgaria country should be promoted as a year-round destination embracing all opportunities of the tourism industry, the minister said, adding that it would make the necessary efforts to provide all tourists with a complete and above all safe experience.

As Bulgaria has excellent specialists in the field of IT, Dimitrov said it would contribute to a more effective digitalization of its tourism product. The development of the country’s digital in the near future is a great opportunity to increase its visibility. It will help to identify sites, destinations, places for dining and entertainment, he added, explaining that training staff in the sector is another critical element which requires serious investment, one in which Bulgaria should be very active.

On the sidelines of the forum, Dimitrov met with his Cypriot counterpart, Savas Perdios, and conferred informally with Greek Tourism Minister Vasilis Kilikas with whom they discussed work on joint products for users from distant markets.

Relations between Greece and Bulgaria in the sector are balanced, fruitful and extremely intensive. The two countries have agreed to develop a new joint Tourism Action Program, to work actively within common formats such as the EC, the UNWTO, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) initiative and many others, to develop cross-border regional development projects to enhance the welfare of the border areas.

Dimitrov was also received by the Saudi Vice Minister of Tourism, H.H. Princess Haifa Al Saud, and had talks with the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef, underscoring that Saudi Arabia is one of Bulgaria’s promising partners in the sector with a particular interest in its SPA tourism, mineral springs and mountains. The first direct flights from Sofia to Riyadh are expected in the spring of 2023, which will prove a considerable boost to two-way tourist flow, said Dimitrov and invited potential Saudi investors to invest in tourist projects in Bulgaria.

Meeting with travel agents and air carriers operating on the Bulgarian market, the Bulgarian Tourism Ministers discussed streamlining the visa regime jointly with relevant institutions like the Foreign Ministry to the tangible economic benefit for Bulgaria.