The Eighth Bulgarian Tourist Awards brought together the elite of the hotel and restaurant business to distinguish the best in it according to the assessment of an international jury with participants from the USA, Switzerland, Great Britain and Bulgaria.
A new member of the judging commission is the first Bulgarian woman to head the prestigious European SPA association ESPA, Dr. Siika Kacarova, months ago. On this occasion, the conference part of the awards also took place under the motto "Tourism that heals". Which is not accidental - the first known tourist in our lands is the founder of the first resort - Aqua Calidae near today's Burgas - Emperor Nero, and in the same place Philip of Macedon - the father of Alexander the Great, treated his wounds, and Constantine IV hid after the attacks of the invading Proto-Bulgarians. And the famous and legendary Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent cured his gout.
Besides everything, the forum of "Grand Hotels" magazine with the support of the Ministry of Tourism also gathered neighbors, who met at it and agreed on joint actions. Such as, for example, those awarded for green/eco hotel and resort from the resort of Malyovitsa and the Municipality of Sapareva Banya, which was assessed as the internal destination of the year, which are the great potential for the development of Rila as a modern and not just a ski zone.
The award for coastal hotel and resort this year is for Secrets Sunny Beach Resort and Spa, which previously took the world prize TUI Global Hotel Awards Quality Winner 2025. In a season that, according to global trends, will be staycation - i.e. many more tourists will stay in the countries and the nearby abroad, instead of making long trips, many Bulgarians, for whom the hotel of the same chain in the Dominican Republic is preferred, will certainly bet on the highest possible quality, but on our sea. On the Southern Black Sea coast is again the boutique hotel of the year Paradise Bay, which - as the name suggests, is on Paradise Bay - the classic of Sozopol.
For the second year in a row, the award for a vacation property destination is won by Tsarevo municipality, which marks a 3-fold increase in tourism revenues for 2025 and where accommodation places have already been reserved since May. The award was presented by the Deputy Minister of Tourism Pavlin Petrov.
Restaurant of the year is EDEN in Plovdiv, which is probably also one of the largest investments in the sector.
Those who managed to ensure the safety and return of their clients from the hot spots of the world became the heroes of tourism. GIRAMONDO, which distinguished itself with a huge increase in travel in the selective sector and an excellent performer in the hottest region for big vacations - the Indian Ocean, won the Tourist Agency of the Year award from the Minister of Tourism Irena Georgieva, who comes from this sector and even, before entering the leadership of the department, was a member of the board of the European organization of travel agents and tour operators.