site.btaMinistry of Tourism Conducts Negotiations with Arab League Countries to Present Bulgaria as a Spa Destination

The Ministry of Tourism is conducting intensive negotiations with most of the countries of the Arab League to present Bulgaria as a spa destination, said Tourism Minister Hristo Prodanov during a working meeting in Velingrad with representatives of local authorities and businesses in the resort.

These countries have a very high national budget for prevention and treatment with spa treatments, which is associated with hostilities and unrest in the region, said Prodanov, noting that the  goal is to show them Bulgaria's potential as the second largest mineral resource country in Europe, after Iceland, and to offer high quality services.

Prodanov recalled that there is a contract with the German health insurance fund, which had suffered some stagnation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but expressed hope that relations with Germany would soon be resumed in the direction of medical tourism.

The Tourims Minister also noted that the situation with refugees from Ukraine, is unpredictable at the moment, but he expressed hope that by May 31 the Ukrainian citizens who choose to remain in Bulgaria will begin to find work and support themselves. Currently, the refugees are mainly accommodated in the sea bases, Prodanov said, adding that after May 31, the owners of the hotels will probably want to return to their main activity. ''We may feel the need to have bases in the country to accommodate Ukrainian citizens,'' he said and recalled that all refugees must register with temporary accommodation status by March 31, but if necessary, the registration deadline can be extended.

The hoteliers from the resort asked the Minister questions related to the advertising of tourist destinations and the improvement of the infrastructure.
The working meeting in Velingrad was initiated by the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism Ilin Dimitrov. It was attended by MPs from the commitee, the regional governor of Pazardzhik Ivan Vasev and the mayor of Velingrad Kostadin Koev.