Health Tourism: Bulgaria Aims to Become a Year-Round Destination

In an effort to position Bulgaria as a leading destination for year-round tourism, the Ministry of Tourism is placing a strong emphasis on the development of the health sector. This ambition was a central topic at the Twelfth Annual Congress of the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and SPA Tourism (BSBSPA), which took place in Pravets. At the event, for which BTA was a media partner, the ministry's expert Venelina Chervenkova presented key aspects of the state's strategy.

For several years, the government's policy has focused specifically on health tourism, with the goal of taking targeted actions to stimulate it. Chervenkova explained that this new vision is part of the broader National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Development in Bulgaria and is structured through a special Plan for the Development of Health Tourism with an emphasis on medical tourism.

The congress in Pravets gathered representatives of the tourism industry who discussed the future of the sector. In an atmosphere of professional dialogue and anticipation, attendees listened to details about the Plan, which aims to ensure the balanced development of all subsectors of health tourism. This includes not only medical tourism but also balneology, SPA, wellness, and therapeutic tourism.

The key goal of the strategy, according to Chervenkova, is to attract more affluent clientele, which in turn will lead to higher revenues for the Bulgarian economy. "We aim to attract higher-paying tourists, provide employment for qualified health specialists, and generate more income for the gross domestic product," she stated, emphasizing the multiplying effect of this policy. Increasing employment for qualified healthcare professionals is another important priority set out in the Plan.

Four Main Goals of the Government Document

The expert outlined the four main goals of the government document: creating a balanced economic environment, achieving competitiveness at the European Union (EU) level, actively positioning Bulgaria through targeted marketing, and ensuring balanced growth in all subsectors.

• Creating a balanced economic environment
• Achieving competitiveness at the European Union (EU) level
• Actively positioning Bulgaria through targeted marketing
• Ensuring balanced growth in all subsectors

In the context of the planned actions, a specially formed working group has already conducted an in-depth analysis of the current situation in the country and identified promising markets for development. It is expected that specific future steps will be outlined very soon, which the institutions and the industry will jointly take to achieve real progress in medical tourism.

The working group is already finalizing its work, and the results of its efforts will be publicly presented at an upcoming press conference, the date of which will be announced soon. Chervenkova expressed optimism and hope that concrete measures for the development of the sector will begin to be implemented as early as next year, which will give a strong impetus to Bulgarian tourism as a whole.