A Bulgarian Tourist Information Center was opened in Shanghai

The first Bulgarian Tourist Information Center in China was opened in the megapolis Shanghai in a glamorous ceremony on Thursday evening. The opening of a tourist center in the financial capital of China became possible after the Ministry of Tourism via Minister Nikolina Angelkova supported the idea and the efforts of the company ACN Worldwide and its creator Nelson Yong to open an office in Shanghai by signing an agreement. The center will connect Bulgarian and Chinese tour operators and will advertise the opportunities for tourism in Bulgaria on the enormous Chinese market. This event was the reason for the visit to Shanghai of the executive director of the National Board of Tourism Martin Zahariev.

The opening of the center is the first step and will be followed by many more efforts of the embassy in Beijing and of our Consulate General in Shanghai, said Grigor Porozhanov, Ambassador of Bulgaria in China, in the opening ceremony. He clearly stated the goal before the Bulgarian diplomats – the Chinese tourists in Bulgaria should reach the number of 100 thousand per year in the near future.

The Deputy Minister Milko Teofilov arrived in Shanghai for the ceremony and demonstrated through a comparative analysis before over 200 guests that Bulgaria has a huge potential to develop its tourism by offering tourist packages for the vast Chinese market. Deputy Minister Teofilov referred to data evidencing the upward trend. From January to June 2017, around 16,000 Chinese tourists visited Bulgaria, which is by 50% more compared to the same period of 2016. The potential for growth however is enormous - at the moment 0.2 per cent of all visitors, who arrive from China to Europe, visit Bulgaria. “I firmly believe that this result will be upgraded with the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism and the businesses in both countries”, said Teofilov.

A certificate for the opening of the center was handed by the host of the event Dimitar Pampulov, Consul General of Bulgaria in Shanghai. More than 200 guests came to congratulate Bulgaria for the tourist center. Among them were consuls and diplomatic representatives from Greece, Ukraine, Turkey, Kazakhstan, USA, owners of Chinese giant companies such ass Wang Chong Lin, chairman of the Maotai Distribution Group, Li Wi Hai, director of SASS Thank Foundation, as well as representatives of leading investment funds. The Bulgarian evening in the 25-million Shanghai was attended by the managers of China Airlines, Air China, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Aeroflot etc. Mrs. Shu Wayvon, Director General of the Tourism Administration of Shanghai, adressed her special congratulations for Bulgaria.