Minister of Tourism Ilin Dimitrov presented to journalists a package of interconnected reforms planned for 2027. The measures cover six key areas aimed at sustainable development, bringing transparency to sectors, and improving the competitiveness of Bulgarian tourism. The press conference was attended by Deputy Minister Georgi Todorov, representatives of the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism, experts, and industry organizations, with whom the strategy for the future of the sector was discussed.
The main focus of the strategy is the creation of a new targeted Connectivity and Advertising Fund, as well as securing additional airline capacity. The Minister noted that this is of critical importance for markets such as Germany and upcoming events like "Eurovision". "From next year, we will create a connectivity and advertising fund because advertising without good connectivity does not lead to more tourists," Dimitrov pointed out. He clarified that the fund will be financed directly from the state budget as a separate line item, strongly emphasizing that the state will not touch the municipalities' revenues from the local tourist tax, following the best practices of European countries that achieve high levels of tourist registrations relative to their population.
The Minister outlined a number of initiatives to improve the sector:
- Amendments to the Tourism Act are planned to regulate short-term rentals and mandate the reinvestment of tourist tax by municipalities into advertising and air connectivity, as, according to Dimitrov, money for tourism must necessarily be returned to the industry.
- Two initiatives for product quality are being launched: the establishment of an Association of Higher Education Institutions studying tourism, and the creation of an Observatory for measuring quality through a national QR-code feedback campaign, since everything that is measured can be improved.
- By the end of the year, the finalization of the project for a Travel Guarantee Fund is planned, which will ensure that in the event of bankruptcy or force majeure, the funds of travelers will be reimbursed.
Regarding personnel policy, Minister Dimitrov emphasized the need for the long-term development of Bulgarian employees through partnerships with educational institutions, rather than relying solely on importing labor. "We must focus on the development of Bulgarian employees. Give them a chance and an opportunity. Only in this way, if we have managers trained in Bulgaria, can we have a high-quality product," he stated. To improve international visibility, the hosting of international forums is planned, including the meeting of the TUI Board of Directors, with the aim of signing a multi-year memorandum for global investments. Further plans include the "Star Faces of Tourism" campaign and faster visa issuance by strengthening consular services.
In response to questions about the summer season, the Minister noted that it is not a failure but is maintaining volumes close to the previous year:
- Data from the Unified Tourism Information System show that for the period June 1 - July 31, 2025, the country welcomed 2,689,000 tourists, and for the same period in 2026, the number was 2,602,719.
- For the German market, over 100,000 airline seats have already been secured, with negotiations pending for another 150,000 seats, which will bring levels close to the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
- Regarding prices, Dimitrov explained the effect of dynamic pricing and announced that because of "Eurovision", the Mayor of Burgas is compiling a list of hoteliers who have committed to maintaining reasonable accommodation prices to avoid artificial inflation and the loss of visitors.