Minister Angelkova had a working meeting in Brussels with the Director General of DG Energy at the European Commission Dominique Ristori

The Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova had a working meeting in Brussels with the the Director General of DG Energy at the European Commission Dominique Ristori. In Bulgaria, we are currently working on a concept for developing a strategy for energy efficiency in the sphere of tourism, which we think will increase the competitiveness and the effectiveness of the sector, by focusing optimally on the utilization of the natural resources. We believe that it will be another opportunity to support the sustainable development of tourism, said Minister Angelkova.

All our efforts have been put into integrating enery-saving and ecological technologies in the buildings and also in the management of tourist sites, announced Minister Angelkova. She also added that it is important to encourage the application of eco-friendly technologies and systems and quality standards of the accommodation services.

A major focus is the preservation of the purity of water and the maintenance of the high quality of water used for domestic purposes and also of the sea water, said the Minister. She also pointed out that seaside tourism is essential for Bulgaria and this directly affects the quality of the services and the country’s reputation as a tourist destination.

The minister also said that the link between the two economic sectors was the main subject of the International Conference on Macro-regional Cooperation in the sphere of tourism and energy which was held under the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU and was organized by the two ministries. The Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova, Prof. Samuele Furfari, an adviser at DG Energy in the European Commission and international experts took part in this event. This meeting was the first of its kind and it included a discussion of the possibilities and the challenges facing the tourist sector in relation to the introduction of energy efficiency at the places offering accommodation and food and how this will affect the economy and the resource that could be saved, added Minister Angelkova.

Mr. Dominique Ristori noted that this event plays an important role for emphasizing the link between the two sectors not only or a regional level but also on a European level and admired the forum in Sofia.

Mr. Ristori also stated that the investments in energy efficiency are crucial for the European Commission since they have a beneficial long-term effect on the economic development of the countries. He congratulated Minsiter Angelkova and her team on their enterprise for encouraging the business to integrate ecological technologies in the sector of tourism.