Minister Zaritza Dinkova: This year we will open our first national tourism representation in Spain

Minister Dinkova held a meeting with the Spanish Secretary of State for Tourism, Rosana Morillo

‘Due to our excellent bilateral cooperation, which Bulgaria and Spain enjoy in many areas, as well as the increasing number of Spanish tourists visiting our country, this year we will open our first national tourist representation in Spain,’ Minister Dinkova said during her meeting with Spain's Secretary of State for Tourism Rosana Morillo. Our tourist attaché in Spain will also cover the markets in France and Italy.

‘We need to work together, in close cooperation, to increase tourism between the two countries. The tourism industry has overcome the Covid crisis and this is clearly visible in the number of tourist trips made. What Spanish citizens need to know is that Bulgaria is a country that offers many opportunities and deserves to be visited,’ Rosana Morillo said.

The Minister of Tourism and the delegation she leads are visiting the Kingdom of Spain in the framework of the international tourism exhibition FITUR 2024 in Madrid, which will start tomorrow – January 24 and will last until Sunday – January 28. FITUR is one of the largest tourism exhibitions in the world. Minister Dinkova said that this year 17 representatives of the Bulgarian tourism industry — tour operators, travel agents, municipal administrations — will take part in the event and will have the opportunity to present their tourism products. Bulgaria will be presented as a destination for year-round tourism, offering opportunities for winter, cultural, eco, SPA and wellness tourism.

The Spanish market is extremely important for Bulgaria, Minister Dinkova further stressed. In the last year, a serious growth of tourists of nearly 42% has been recorded.

A series of initiatives aimed at Spanish tourists are planned. Such is the project of the municipality of Shabla, for a flamenco festival, which is funded under the programme for marketing activities of tourist services in the Black Sea municipalities. ‘The municipality of Shabla has contacted a local Spanish tour operator so that as many tourists from the Iberian Peninsula as possible can visit the event,’ the Minister of Tourism added, stressing that an official invitation to visit the festival has also been received by Secretary of State Morillo.

For the period January-November 2023, the number of Bulgarians who visited Spain was 175,377. During the same period, 72,591 Spaniards visited Bulgaria for tourism, and the Tourism Minister pointed out that due to our country's entry into Schengen, we expect this number to increase. ‘The Spanish tourists are an indicator that when you have good air connectivity you also have tourist flow. It is for markets like this that our entry into Schengen is extremely positive news because they come mainly by air and for them it is an opportunity to use Sofia as a starting point for other destinations,’ Zaritza Dinkova stressed.