Caretaker Minister of Tourism, Irena Georgieva, took part in the “Culture. Tourism. Communications” conference, held at the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies in Sofia on March 21. The event marked the launch of the anniversary initiative of the National Tourism Board on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the organisation, the Ministry of Tourism said.
Representatives of the Ministry of Culture, the academic community, business and the media participated in the forum, discussing the role of culture, communications and innovation in the development of a sustainable tourism sector.
Caretaker Minister Irena Georgieva emphasised that, in the context of global crises, the sector requires an active and adaptive policy.
“Tourism is not a seasonal business, but a strategic sector. Society is already showing confidence in Bulgarian destinations, and our task is to preserve and develop this,” she said. She highlighted the importance of the domestic market: “Bulgarians are looking for experiences – culture, nature and diversity – and increasingly they are finding them in Bulgaria. Our task is to turn this into a sustainable policy.”
The caretaker Minister also outlined specific measures to support the sector, including strengthening domestic tourism through targeted advertising campaigns, diversifying external markets, digitalisation and adaptation to new technologies, as well as the development of high value-added tourism products.
The Executive Director of the National Tourism Board, Dr Polina Karastoyanova, stressed the importance of trust as a key asset for the development of the sector.
“Trust in our cause – for Bulgaria to be a beautiful, attractive and competitive tourist destination – obliges us and motivates us more than anything else. Culture, nature, food and wine are the quintessence of our identity,” Dr Karastoyanova said.
She thanked the Ministry of Tourism for its institutional partnership and underlined the role of joint efforts in the development of the sector.
“For the National Tourism Board, culture and tourism are strategically linked, and the partnership with the Ministry of Tourism is key to implementing policies that turn investment in culture into sustainable development and enhance Bulgaria’s competitiveness as a tourist destination,” said Martin Zahariev, Deputy Chair of the National Tourism Board.
The Rector of the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies, Prof. Dr Irina Peteva, noted the importance of education and culture for the development of tourism.
“Bulgarian education is an extremely important part of the tourism sector. In the era of global transformations, tourism is not merely an economic sector, but a powerful tool for communicating values and preserving cultural heritage.”
As part of the event, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the National Tourism Board and Bulgarian National Radio, aimed at promoting Bulgaria as a tourist destination and fostering a culture of travel.
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