site.btaNational Tourism Board Proposes Integrated Marketing Concept to Develop Bulgarian Tourism

The eighth annual meeting of the National Tourism Board (NTB), held here on Tuesday, discussed the models of sustainable tourism and competitiveness of Bulgaria as a tourist destination. The forum was held on the sidelines of the two-day International Tourism Fair “Holiday and SPA Expo”.

The Deputy Chairperson of the Management Board of NTB, Martin Zahariev, proposed the creation of an integrated marketing concept after a broad discussion on Bulgaria’s development as a tourist and investment destination. The Tourism and Economy Ministries, as well as the Invest Bulgaria Agency, should take part in the process, he suggested.

NTB also proposed that the National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Development 2014-2030 should be re-written as its Action Plan has not been updated since 2017. Another proposal was the creation of a public-private partnership for an active advertising campaign abroad in order to "save" the summer season, to use NTB's words.

Tourism Minister Hristo Prodanov stressed that it is important for the tourism industry to be united. If central and local authorities, and the tourism industry join their efforts, Bulgaria could have tourism as one of its leading economic sectors, he added.

The Holiday and SPA Expo International Tourism Fair was unveiled at Sofia’s Inter Expo Center on Thursday. 110 exhibitors from Bulgaria, Greece, Great Britain, India, Spain, Iraq, Mongolia and Finland, are among the participants, the organizers said. The exhibition is staged under the auspices of Bulgaria’s Tourism Ministry.