Burgas will host a marathon run by tour operator TUI, set to take place between the Eurovision Song Contest and the start of the busy summer season. Tourism minister Ilin Dimitrov said this on Bulgarian National Television on World Tourism Day.

The ministry is drafting a change to the law that would put 50% of tourist tax money into advertising and events tied to flight links. Dimitrov said this would spread tourism promotion more evenly across the country and bring more events, festivals and sports competitions to Bulgaria. He said this would stretch out the season and give real help to an industry that has long asked for the change.

Bulgaria has signed a three-year deal with TUI for joint advertising and campaigns. The tour operator has promised to double the number of tourists it brings to Bulgaria, from 200,000 to 400,000. Those who fly in stay for 7 to 10 days.

"TUI is the biggest tourism group in the world," the minister said. The company's fleet has more than 190 planes, and it also runs ships and hotels.

A TUI plane named "Varna" landed at Varna airport, which Dimitrov called maybe the biggest news of the season. The group has already held a senior management meeting in Bulgaria, and the ministry plans to invite the 10 biggest tour operator groups to similar meetings in the country.

"We want to put Bulgaria on the map more and more," Dimitrov said. He said the company has big plans to invest in Bulgaria and has shown interest in doing so, and the government will help. He expects Bulgaria to get several TUI-branded hotel clusters in the coming years.

The minister's biggest hopes are pinned on the 2027 season. Bulgaria has lost the British market this year, but TUI has promised to bring it back in 2028 if 2027 goes well. Dimitrov said this season got off to a very rough start because of lost markets, but the industry is now making up ground with next summer in mind.

The minister called the logistics for Eurovision excellent and said transport links keep improving, adding that the event will give the season a real boost. Final figures for the summer are not ready yet, but he expects results close to last year's.

Dimitrov also congratulated the 135,000 people working in the industry on the holiday. An Association of Higher Education Institutions Teaching Tourism is being set up in Varna today, after which the minister and university rectors will plant the first trees of the Alley of International Tourism in the Sea Garden.