Within the WTM World Tourism Exhibition in London, Bulgaria's Minister of Tourism Evtim Miloshev held a series of key meetings with European ministers of tourism, discussing new opportunities for cooperation and strengthening tourism in the region. The main emphasis was placed on the creation of a common tourist product – “Brand Balkans“, and the improvement of air connectivity between the Balkan capitals. Minister Miloshev met with his colleagues from Italy, Greece, Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro, as well as with the Deputy Minister of Tourism of Turkey.
The idea of “Brand Balkans“ met with support from Minister Miloshev's colleagues. The concept is aimed at facilitating travel between the countries and providing a unique experience to tourists that includes visiting more than one Balkan destination in one trip. With this approach, the Balkans can attract even more tourists from overseas markets.
A joint meeting in the format of Montenegro, Albania, Bulgaria and Italy will be initiated in Rome to lay the foundations of the Balkans destination product. The innovative model for training personnel in tourism, which Italy successfully implements in cooperation with North African countries, was also discussed during the talks. At a tourism campus in Egypt, Italian teachers train young professionals who subsequently find professional fulfillment in the tourism sector of the Apennines. Minister Miloshev welcomed the idea and expressed interest in similar initiatives for training and professional development of personnel for tourism in our country. The ministers also discussed the Italian experience in the management of winter resorts, which successfully adapt their infrastructure for the summer season and thus extend the tourist opportunities of these sites throughout the year. Bulgaria sees in this approach prospects for the development of its mountain resorts as year-round destinations and plans to integrate similar good practices.
The Minister of Tourism of Bulgaria and the Minister of Tourism of Greece Olga Kefaloyani agreed on the establishment of a Tourism Committee between the two countries. This is a format of closer cooperation between Bulgaria and Greece to implement initiatives of common interest, including the topics of air connectivity, the labor market and the sustainability of tourism products. Minister Kefaloyani shared his idea for joint efforts with Bulgaria in the direction of creating a separate budget line for European financing of key policies and projects in the field of tourism, and in particular for modernization of tourist infrastructure, digitalization and sustainable tourism. This is happening in the context of the inclusion of the Tourism sector for the first time in the portfolio of a European Commissioner.
Minister Miloshev and the Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, Nadir Alpaslan, agreed that the 5th session of the Bulgaria-Turkey Tourism Committee would meet in Bansko. The topics of the upcoming discussions will include improving border control, the new destination “Brand Balkans”, cooperation in cruise tourism on the Black Sea, strengthening ties between the two tourism sectors and others.
The Minister of Tourism Evtim Miloshev also held meetings with the Ministers of Tourism of Serbia Husein Memic, Croatia Tonci Glavina and Montenegro Simonida Kordic, with whom they had an official meeting in Podgorica in October and signed an action plan in the field of tourism . At the center of the discussions were the good relations and the possibilities for more intensive cooperation between the countries of the Balkans, with the emphasis being on joint projects to popularize the region.
These WTM London meetings underline Bulgaria's commitment to regional cooperation and unification in tourism to promote the Balkans and Bulgaria on the world map as an attractive and diverse tourist destination.