The Tourism Ministry plans legislative changes under which half of the revenue collected from tourism taxes will be spent on promotion and events related to air connectivity, Tourism Minister Ilin Dimitrov told Bulgarian National Television (BNT) on Sunday, World Tourism Day.
Dimitrov said the change would decentralize tourism promotion and help increase the number of events, festivals and sporting events held in Bulgaria, contributing to efforts to extend the tourist season.
The Minister spoke from Varna, where an association of universities offering tourism programmes is due to be established on Sunday. Dimitrov and university rectors are also expected to plant trees in the Sea Garden to mark the beginning of an International Tourism Alley.
Dimitrov said some 135,000 people work in Bulgaria’s tourism sector.
Turning to recent cooperation with TUI, the Minister described the arrival at Varna Airport of an aircraft bearing the city’s name as one of the major developments of the summer season. TUI recently held a senior management meeting in Bulgaria and signed a three-year memorandum with the Tourism Ministry on joint promotional activities and campaigns.
According to Dimitrov, TUI has committed to increasing the number of its tourists visiting Bulgaria from 200,000 to 400,000. He said the company had also expressed interest in investing in Bulgaria and that the Government hoped several hotels operating under TUI brands could be developed in the coming years.
Dimitrov also referred to plans for a TUI marathon in Burgas between Eurovision and the beginning of the active summer tourist season. He said preparations for Eurovision were progressing well and improving connectivity associated with the event could benefit the tourist season.
The Minister said the Government intends to pursue similar cooperation with other major international tourism groups rather than working exclusively with TUI.
Dimitrov added that TUI could expand its operations bringing tourists from the United Kingdom to Bulgaria in 2028 if the cooperation develops successfully in 2027.
Final figures for the 2026 summer tourist season are not yet available, Dimitrov said, adding that the results are expected to be close to those of the previous season. He described the beginning of this year’s season as difficult because of the loss of some markets and said he had high expectations for the 2027 season.
Tourism Minister: Half of Tourism Tax Revenue to Go towards Promotion, Events under Planned Legal Changes THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-09-27 09:01:12
Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Economic news Bulgaria, Bulgarian economy news, Bulgaria economic news, latest economic news, breaking economic news, Bulgarian business news, Bulgaria business news. Bulgarian financial news, Bulgaria finance news, Bulgarian markets, Bulgaria stock market, Bulgarian banking sector, Bulgarian investments, foreign investment Bulgaria. Bulgaria inflation, Bulgaria GDP, Bulgarian exports, Bulgarian imports, Bulgaria trade, Bulgarian industry, Bulgarian companies, Bulgarian entrepreneurs. Bulgarian business economy, economic growth Bulgaria, Bulgaria economic policy, Bulgarian fiscal policy, Bulgarian monetary policy, Bulgaria budget, Bulgarian public finances. Bulgaria wages, Bulgarian employment, Bulgaria unemployment, Bulgarian labor market, Bulgaria salaries, Bulgarian taxes, Bulgaria taxation, Bulgaria energy market. Bulgaria real estate market, Bulgarian property market, Bulgaria construction sector, Bulgarian tourism economy, Bulgaria agriculture economy, Bulgarian manufacturing, Bulgaria technology sector. Bulgarian startups, Bulgaria investment news, Bulgaria corporate news, Bulgarian financial markets, Bulgaria interest rates, Bulgarian banks, Bulgaria euro adoption, Bulgaria economic reforms.
BULGARIA NEWS – NEWS AGENCY 2009–2026 2026-09-27 09:01:12