Burgas, May 18, (BTA/GNA) – A discussion forum titled BG Tourism – Summer 2023 was held in the Black Sea city of Burgas Thursday. It was organized by the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) and brought together central and local government officials and tourist industry representatives for a discussion on the prospects of this summer season and try to formulate a message for attracting tourists this season, to reflect the advantages this country has to offer.
BTA Director General Kiril Valchev delivered the opening remarks. He said: “The aim is, after looking at the global picture, to formulate a message that would be different from the well-known ‘Bulgaria: a country of roses’ or ‘Sunny place with nice beaches’. It should be a message that all of us will be trying to use when we present Bulgaria this summer season. Many countries in the world do exactly this, including our neighbours,” said Valchev.
He said his own position is that, as prices go up globally, Bulgaria’s message should be for “higher quality as the same price”.
This is the third event under a BTA initiative for tourism conferences which are held twice a year, at the start of summer and winter. During the forum ahead of the winter season last year, the participants agreed that the message should be focused on Bulgaria as a safe destination.
Attending the event are representatives of the Tourism Ministry, the parliamentary tourism committee, leaders of state institutions, local government officials and representatives of industry organizations, the health authorities, and public figures.
Bulgaria’s beaches: “very safe” and “the cleanest”
Bulgaria’s beaches are very safe, said Nikolai Dimitrov, the Chairman of an association of beach concessionaires. He pointed out that other countries, which are popular tourist destinations, do not offer as much safety for tourists.
As an example, he said that not all of them provide ambulances and resuscitation stations as Bulgaria does.
He also said that concessionaires this summer are doing their best to hold down prices so as not to scare off tourists.
The head of the regional health authority in the Black Sea city of Burgas, Georgi Pazderov, boasted having the cleanest beaches. “We have the cleanest beaches and one can see that. We test the water twice a month and will keep this practice,” he said during the BG Tourism – Summer 2023 forum, which BTA held in Burgas.
He said that his office will do its best to secure adequate health services in the resorts on the southern Bulgarian coast.
There will be 400 hospital beds region-wide and an aerial ambulance service are due to start working in mid-summer. Pazderov said that a meeting was held with Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov to consider locations for landing patches for the flying ambulances.
BTA/GNA