[size=55:tejgvg82]novinite

Bulgarian tourism gets 42M leva boost

ulgarian tourism will receive a 42 million leva check for advertising in 2011, Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov told the general assembly of the national tourism board, the private television channel bTV reported on January 20 2011.

Revenue from tourism in 2010 was higher than in previous years, in spite of the economic crisis, the board said, as about nine million foreign tourists visited the country, bTV said.

"
More investments will be made available in tourism infrastructure in 2010,"
Dyankov said, cited by Investor.bg. Additionally, more resources are envisaged to promote smaller tourist attractions as well as those of big national importance – but we must provide for adequate infrastructure to them,"
Dyankov said.

The Minister was referring to sites such as the Trapezitsa Hill in Veliko Turnovo, the medieval Bulgarian capital, which also hosts ruins and military fortifications. The hill, however, is considerably less known than the one adjacent to it – Tsarevets – the main tourist attraction of the city.

The Shumen fortress, as well as the Baba Vida fortress near the north western Bulgarian town of Vidin by the Danube, are also on the agenda to have their infrastructure improved. The recent discoveries in Sozopol near the monastery and the site of the archaeological finds of St. John the Baptist will benefit as well, the report said.

About 42 million leva will be absorbed this year to promote such tourist sites, in addition to European funding.

But the tourist board wants a coherent law on tourism and "
clarification for the different types of attractions on offer"
. Another problem for Bulgaria, according to experts, is that the country lacks a sufficient number of recognised European and international hotel brands.

Additionally, the country suffers from the ambiguous status and management of many sites across the country, which have a potential for development for the tourism industry. These include medieval sites, nature reserves and others.

From Novinite

Bulgaria Launches Online Tourist Calendar

The new online calendar of the Economy Ministry will bring together all national and local tourist events. F
The Bulgarian Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism has launched an online calendar listing interesting tourists sites and events.

The calendar has a web address - [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. Translated with google here [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... vel.org%2F

The site will be updated consistently and will collect information about travel, city and town celebrations, festivals, and others.

Users, organizations and institutions are invited to contribute to the site's content by sending information to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], the Ministry announced.

The calendar is going to become an useful tool in the planning of trips across Bulgaria and will bring together all national and local events.

The site has been developed under a project to encourage local tourism and it is financed by the EU "
Regional Development"
Operational Program.

The calendar is part of the campaign "
Find Bulgaria,"
which also includes TV, radio, print and online advertising.

The value of the project is BGN 2.1 M and it is carried out by the consortium "
Pro Event Business Group Partners 3,"
the winning public tender bidder.