[size=55:low50cjp]novinite

Bulgarian Govt to Go for State Tourism Advertising Company

Bulgaria's Economy Ministry is going ahead with setting up a "
Bulgarian Tourism Association"
State Company to manage the country's national marketing and tourist image, according to the draft Tourism Act.

The future State Company "
Bulgarian Tourism Association"
is said to be in charge of Bulgaria's tourism advertising, participation in international expos, and the development of marketing strategies and communication campaigns. It is will feature a consultative council with representatives of the business tourism associations.

The proposed state company for Bulgaria's national advertising will be subordinate to the Economy Minister. It will be funded with 10% of the total revenues from tourist tax, 50% of all fines under the Tourism Act, fees from tourism expos as well as additional state funding.

The draft law published by the Ministry of Economy, Energy, and Tourism Tuesday further provides for dividing Bulgaria into tourist regions to be under the responsibility of organizations for destination management.

The other major brainchild of the Bulgarian Economy Ministry, the destination management organizations (or tourism regions), will feature representatives of municipalities and district authorities as well as local tourism associations. Any other tourism-related organizations will be free to join – including parks, museums, etc.

The destination management organizations will be allowed to create marketing strategies and advertising campaigns for the specific region, and to provide their projects to the future state tourism company. Each of them will have a governing council of 9 people – 5 businesspeople, 3 municipal officials, and 1 district governor's office official, and a supervisory council of 3 people – one from the economy and finance ministries each, and one elected by their general assembly.

The tourism regions will be funded through the contributions of their members, 20% of the tourism tax, and income from commercial activity, and donations. Their main goal will be to take care of the marketing and advertising of the respective region.

Bulgaria's draft Tourism Act further provides for restrictions on tourism business organizations, which are over 80 at present. It stipulates that a firm can participate in only one business organization.

The draft Tourism Act will be discussed publicly by April 26;
after that it will be discussed by the respective state institutions, and will then be tabled to the Cabinet and the Parliament.

Upon taking in 2009, the Borisov Cabinet shut down the former State Tourism Agency and turned the Economy and Energy Ministry into a Ministry of Economy, Energy, and Tourism. This restructuring does not appear to have produced much in terms of tangible benefits for the development of tourism in Bulgaria.

Admin wrote:

[size=55:3vyka50f]novinite

Bulgarian Govt to Go for State Tourism Advertising Company

Bulgaria's Economy Ministry is going ahead with setting up a "
Bulgarian Tourism Association"
State Company to manage the country's national marketing and tourist image, according to the draft Tourism Act.

The future State Company "
Bulgarian Tourism Association"
is said to be in charge of Bulgaria's tourism advertising, participation in international expos, and the development of marketing strategies and communication campaigns. It is will feature a consultative council with representatives of the business tourism associations.

The proposed state company for Bulgaria's national advertising will be subordinate to the Economy Minister. It will be funded with 10% of the total revenues from tourist tax, 50% of all fines under the Tourism Act, fees from tourism expos as well as additional state funding.

The draft law published by the Ministry of Economy, Energy, and Tourism Tuesday further provides for dividing Bulgaria into tourist regions to be under the responsibility of organizations for destination management.

The other major brainchild of the Bulgarian Economy Ministry, the destination management organizations (or tourism regions), will feature representatives of municipalities and district authorities as well as local tourism associations. Any other tourism-related organizations will be free to join – including parks, museums, etc.

The destination management organizations will be allowed to create marketing strategies and advertising campaigns for the specific region, and to provide their projects to the future state tourism company. Each of them will have a governing council of 9 people – 5 businesspeople, 3 municipal officials, and 1 district governor's office official, and a supervisory council of 3 people – one from the economy and finance ministries each, and one elected by their general assembly.

The tourism regions will be funded through the contributions of their members, 20% of the tourism tax, and income from commercial activity, and donations. Their main goal will be to take care of the marketing and advertising of the respective region.

Bulgaria's draft Tourism Act further provides for restrictions on tourism business organizations, which are over 80 at present. It stipulates that a firm can participate in only one business organization.

The draft Tourism Act will be discussed publicly by April 26;
after that it will be discussed by the respective state institutions, and will then be tabled to the Cabinet and the Parliament.

Upon taking in 2009, the Borisov Cabinet shut down the former State Tourism Agency and turned the Economy and Energy Ministry into a Ministry of Economy, Energy, and Tourism. This restructuring does not appear to have produced much in terms of tangible benefits for the development of tourism in Bulgaria.

Let's hope that actions speak louder than words

here here

This all sounds very good and at least its a step in the right direction, but as you have said "
Actions speak louder than words"
but maybe this time they just might get it right ? they know they have to do something because once you have lost a tourist you won't get them back.

[size=55:cn9osrtx]novinite

Bulgaria Sees More Foreign Tourists Already, High Hopes for Summer

The number of foreign tourists who visited Bulgaria in the first two months of 2011 grew by 6%, year-on-year, a senior official announced at the opening of the Cultural Tourism Expo in Veliko Tarnovo.

According to Ivo Marinov, Deputy Minister of Economy, who is in charge of tourism, in January-February, Bulgaria saw more tourists from Greece, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, Macedonia, the UK and Russia. The visas issued to Russian tourists in January were 50% more than in the same month of last year.

Marinov also announced that Bulgaria's revenues from foreign tourists in the first two months of 2011 amounted to EUR 109 M, a 5% increase year-on-year.

He, together with Deputy Culture Minister Todor Chobanov, opened the 8th annual Cultural Tourism Fair in Bulgaria's medieval capital Veliko Tarnovo, featuring 80 participants including a number of Bulgarian towns and cities and foreign destinations.

The organizers revealed data showing that in the first quarter of 2011, a total of 32 683 tourists, both Bulgarian and foreign, have visited the cultural landmarks of the country compared with 28 245 in the first quarter of 2010.

The participants in the Veliko Tarnovo cultural tourism expo expressed optimism about the prospects of Bulgaria's tourism in 2011.

According to Blagoy Radin, head of the Bulgarian Association of Hotel and Restaurant Owners, 10%-15% more foreign tourists will visit the country over the summer than during the 2010 summer season.