site.btaCooks in Extremely Short Supply Countrywide

There is an extreme shortage of professional chefs on the territory of the Stara Zagora region, Southern Bulgaria. The issue has been unsolvable for years, commented in an interview with BTA Veni Petrova, the long-time chairman of the Regional Association of Hoteliers and Restaurateurs. According to her, this is the case throughout the country.

Graduates of culinary academies abroad most often prefer to work abroad, choosing better pay and better conditions for career development. "In our region, there are very few with diplomas from academies, most often they choose their homeland or hometown because of pure nationalism or local patriotism, but not for long," commented Petrova.

Domestically, this has been a trend for years. Chefs do not have clear goals, direction for development, do not communicate with each other. They choose a new workplace, for which they are offered BGN 100 more per month. That is until a new offer comes, again for a BGN 100 more," explained Petrova.

"With hope and great support, we accept the intention of the Ministry of Tourism for the creation of a single industry organization, for the drafting of a Guarantee Fund for Tour Operators Act, the adoption of the Regulations for the Tourist Marking, as well as relief in advertising on multinational channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. These are reforms that the industry desperately needs. There are brilliant practices in this direction, for example in Croatia, Austria, which we simply have to follow. The problem of tourism staff remains open in general, and it is not just a matter of training, but of national mentality and state priority," Petrova also pointed out.