2024-04-17 00:41:32
Organizations from the tourism industry met with the Minister of Tourism
“We need to define several priorities that will be implemented in a short time. As Minister of Tourism, I will be open to you in order to develop a working model for the development of tourism in our country. The business must work, and the administration must support it,” said Tourism Minister Evtim Miloshev during his meetings with the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and Spa Tourism, the Bulgarian Association of Professionals in Hotel Management, representatives of hotel chains – Griffith Holly” EOOD , “NIKMI” AD, “Albena” and “Albena Tour” EAD and with the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association. This was announced by the press center of the Ministry of Tourism.
“Bulgaria operates according to world standards in terms of balneology and spa tourism, and this is a guarantee of our quality. We have developed this niche step by step, restoring balneological hotels and we have reached here to have multifunctional hotels. Our goal has always been for Bulgaria to be a four-season destination. We are not just expanding our portfolio, we are investing in our development,” said Zhivko Ivanov, deputy chairman of the board of the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and Spa Tourism. Ivanov also emphasized the fact that our country is one of the few countries in which the German government recognizes and reimburses the costs of medical procedures for German citizens in our country, and currently the organization works on a similar model for the Austrian market, having already concluded two contracts with Austrian insurance companies for the reimbursement of costs.
The representatives of the industry emphasized that the most serious difficulties they encounter with the workforce at the local level. “It could be said that a large proportion of hotels are better employers than a number of other industries. Tourism has merits to communicate in order to improve the image of the professions in it. We can offer lightning-fast career development, but there are simply no staff in our industry,” said Georgi Duchev, executive director of the Bulgarian Association of Professionals in Hotel Management. The association also emphasized that the tourism industry is extremely sensitive to all shocks.
“It is extremely important that the state supports businesses in advertising and attracting an ever-increasing tourist flow. We still can’t fight serious low-cost and charter companies to fly to Varna and Burgas,” pointed out Grigor Fidanov, owner and manager of “Griffid Holi” EOOD. Representatives of large hotels also emphasized that they expect an average successful summer season “But it is extremely insufficient to generate a stable development of the whole business both as a base and as marketing. In the last 9 months, many interesting activities and implementation of advertising ideas have started. And if we do not continue them, we will compromise ourselves in the eyes of our partners and slow down the process of recovery from Covid and the war in Ukraine,” said Krasimir Stanev, executive director of Albena AD.
The representatives of the sector also emphasized that one of the serious problems in it is the lack of coordination, and the basis of the success of Bulgarian tourism is the dialogue. “90% of the problems of tourism are in the lack of coordination. And unfortunately we are discussing the same things. We are not talking about developing an already imposed tourist destination, but about problems that are fundamental to tourism, but the most serious situation is the lack of personnel in our business,” said Georgi Shterev, chairman of the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Organization.
After the meetings, Minister Evtim Miloshev stated that he would take specific actions in relation to the problems presented at the meetings and called on business representatives to consolidate efforts in the sector. “Solving problems accumulated over years is a very complex process and requires not only will, but also enormous efforts, but it must be clear that the more disconnected a branch is, the more everyone in it loses,” the minister added. of tourism.