This year’s edition of Holiday & Spa Expo International Tourist Fair opened on 13 February with the ambition to bring together under one roof the most attractive offers for holidaying in both Bulgaria and abroad. Meeting at the Inter Expo Center in Sofia, professionals from the tourism sector are advertising and contracting spring and summer vacation packages.

The 31st edition of one of the biggest tourist fairs in Bulgaria and across the region has seen keener interest from foreign businesses. 250 companies and organizations in total are present with booths at the event. Of them 48 are newcomers to the fair, coming from new destinations. These include the Altai region of Russia, one of the leading Turkish companies for medical tourism, software companies engaged in tourist services from Germany, Greece etc. By tradition, there are a few travel agents from neighboring Balkan states that represent the most popular holiday choices for Bulgarians. However, there are also more exotic participants like for instance companies from Cuba, Tunisia and Morocco.

This year a trend has emerged of a very strong presence at the fair of Bulgarian companies specializing in cultural, convention and spa tourism, as well as of agents offering wine-tasting tours, holidays for kids etc. There is a marked diversity of holiday offers, of promotional and early booking ones. By the way, it is now the right moment for Sofia residents to visit the Inter Expo Center and explore the latest offers for the summer. Booking in February is a good chance of getting a substantial discount that can reach as much as 20% off the original price. There are also a few appealing offers from Bulgarian municipalities that over the recent years have been developing sustainable tourism based on European financing. Anybody interested in this option can get more information at the booth of the Ministry of Economy and Energy featuring 30 municipalities from across Bulgaria. Now some details, from Deputy Minister Branimir Botev:

"Tourism is an important business for a great many Bulgarian municipalities, especially in mountain regions where people haven’t got much else to do for a living. In this way tourism can become the industry creating year-round employment. In fact we feature all municipality projects in tourism financed with European money."

Here are a few project titles suggesting what local governments can offer to visitors from Bulgaria and abroad: The Unknown Sredna Gora Mountain Region, The Valley of Roses and Thracian Kings, A Northwestern Weekend and others. There is also an opportunity for horse-riding in Strandja Mountain, rock climbing in the Vratsa section of the Balkan Range, rafting along the Strouma River, folklore festivals in architectural reserves such as Zheravna, Zlatograd etc., wine-tasting in Southwestern Bulgaria and other temptations.

The tourist fair at Inter Expo Center Sofia has got a dedicated business program. During panel meetings, those engaged in the sector are discussing the latest trends in the development of the sector. The prospects of Bulgarian tour operators, the potential for spa tourism in this country and good practices in low cost flights in support of the sector top the agenda of discussions.

English version: Daniela Konstantinova