site.btaUPDATED President Radev: Tourism Is Foundation on Which All Other Sectors Can Develop

Speaking at Tuesday's ceremony for the annual Tourism Awards, President Rumen Radev said tourism is the foundation on which all other sectors can develop. "How can we have investments, how can we exchange technologies, how can we retain those investments, and how can the world know about us in the first place, unless we carry out robust, full-fledged tourist activities here in Bulgaria?" Radev asked rhetorically.

The awards are presented by the Ministry of Tourism under the President's auspices.

Radev noted that people used to talk only about summer and winter tourism, but now there is SPA tourism, culinary tourism, wine tours, religious travel etc. Bulgaria has very good conditions to develop the industry, which are yet to be utilized. "We have Europe's second-largest number of mineral springs, and in terms of diversity and quality of the water reserves, we are second to none in Europe," the President said. He added that Bulgaria ranks third for archaeological artifacts.

He noted, however, that the country spends very little on advertising its tourist sector compared to other countries.

The head of State awarded the grand prize in the category "Choice of the Bulgarians" to the Historical Park in Neofit Rilski village, Vetrino municipality, and the prize was accepted by the creator of the project Ivelin Mihailov.