site.btaTourism Minister Prodanov Expects Poles Holidaying in Bulgaria to Double

Charter flights to Bulgaria's Black Sea coast will be organized from a dozen Polish cities, Bulgarian Tourism Minister Hristo Prodanov told reporters here on Friday. As a result of the flights, the number of Poles spending their vacation in Bulgaria may double from last year, Prodanov expects.

He spoke to the media after a bilateral business forum with the participation of the Secretary of State at the Polish Ministry of Sport and Tourism, Andrzej Gut-Mostowy, who is visiting at Prodanov's invitation.

The Tourism Minister and the Secretary of State agreed that the flights will likely result in an increased tourist traffic in both directions. Prodanov said that the number of Polish tourists in Bulgaria declined between 2013 and 2017-2018. The trend was then reversed, with a spike in 2021.

According to Gut-Mostowy, among other things Polish tourists take interest in local hydrotherapy and spa resorts.

During the Secretary of State's visit, members of his delegation shared their country's experience of the voucher system and the guarantee fund, which can be useful to Bulgaria, Prodanov said. He was referring to a children's holiday voucher programme, which is part of the Polish Government's governance programme and to a fund providing refunds for trips cancelled for reasons beyond the service providers' control.