Balgarianovinite.com Speaking after the opening of the Gourmet Fest Varna on Saturday, Tourism Minister Ilin Dimitrov said Bulgaria could become a Balkan hub for tourism workforce training.
The event’s academic partner is the Varna University of Management. The main organizer is Chef Kaloyan Kolev, Chair of the New Bulgarian Cuisine Association and a lecturer at the university’s Culinary Arts Institute.
The Varna forum brought together professionals, lecturers, students and culinary enthusiasts from Bulgaria and abroad. Official guests at the opening included Varna Tourism Chamber Co-Chair Lyudmila Nenkova and the city’s deputy mayors, Snezhana Apostolova and Sofia Koleva.
The Tourism Minister said preparations were under way to establish an association uniting more than 10 Bulgarian higher education institutions offering tourism studies, with plans to later expand it to universities across the Balkans. The initiative would support exchanges of lecturers, students and managers and help improve the quality and visibility of Bulgaria’s tourism product.
He said Bulgaria must move beyond its image as a cheap destination through higher quality standards, closer links between education and the tourism sector, and better international branding.
Dimitrov also stressed the importance of improving transport connectivity and promoting sustainable culinary tourism based on local products and farm-to-table practices. Fresh products sourced within 50 km of the place of consumption, traditional products and sustainable agriculture are key, he said.
The Tourism Ministry’s leadership is planning to hold a news conference next week to outline its programme and priorities, Dimitrov said. He added that Bulgaria should increase funding for tourism promotion, and stressed that advertising would not be effective without improving quality. Tourism Minister Says Bulgaria Could Become Balkan “Hub for Tourism Workforce Training” 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-05-16 12:20:24 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law