ITB Berlin: Minister Dimitrov Discussed Opportunities for Cooperation with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Change

In the framework of the ITB international exhibition in Berlin, the Minister of Tourism Dr. Ilin Dimitrov held a meeting with the German political representative responsible for tourism — Dieter Janecek, coordinator of tourism in the Federal Ministry of Economy and Climate Change of Germany, and his team. The meeting was also attended by the Bulgarian tourist attaché in Berlin, Tihomir Patarinski.

Minister Dimitrov pointed out that Germany is Bulgaria's most important trade partner and one of the top markets in the tourism sector. Our country is consistently working to restore it through the organization of a number of activities to promote destination Bulgaria and the rich opportunities we offer — such as the recently completed 'roadshow' in a series of German cities, conducting expedition and journalist tours, institutional and business-to-business communication (with a series of B2B meetings) between the two countries. Bulgaria's participation in all the major popular and specialized exhibitions in Germany is also an important part of the work, and by the end of the year they will become five in total — all this is being done with the ultimate goal of returning an increasing number of German tourists to our country, after the two serious crises that have changed the traditionally good numbers of tourism — the pandemic of COVID-19, the proximity of the war in Ukraine and the economic consequences of them.

Minister Dimitrov outlined to his host the main objectives of the Ministry of Tourism on the German tourist market — a faster recovery to the pre-pandemic levels and an increase in the average stay of German tourists in Bulgaria. 'We can attract them with the rich opportunities to practice cultural and alternative forms of tourism, by activating the wings of the season, using the opportunities of congress tourism (MICE) and last but not least by working with the German health insurance companies in the direction of rehabilitation and spa treatment,' Minister Dimitrov stressed. This can be done by rebranding the tourism image of our country with specialized types of tourism: health — under the agreement with the German State Health Insurance Funds and various forms of cultural tourism and popular sightseeing tours, which combine various elements of the tourism product.

Minister Dimitrov and Dieter Janecek exchanged experiences on useful practices on current topics related to sustainable tourism, its further digitalization and the promotion of little-known aspects of the Bulgarian tourism product. They talked specifically about the practices and coordination of tourism policies and the possibilities for applying successful examples in Bulgaria. The German Tourism Coordinator expressed his willingness to introduce potential partners and interested parties from Germany to the opportunities for cooperation under the projects financed by the European Structural Funds.
The current challenges facing the industry in both countries were also discussed. Minister Dimitrov sent a clear message to his host that Bulgaria is a safe and beautiful destination that has a long tradition of hospitality towards German tourists. In turn, Dieter Janecek said that he had visited Bulgaria as a tourist and had wonderful impressions of our country and its beautiful nature.