Minister Angelkova talked to the minister of sustainable development and tourism of Austria Elisabeth Köstinger in Vienna

The Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova talked to the minister of sustainable development and tourism of Austria Elisabeth Köstinger. They met during the 17^th European Tourist Forum in Vienna, which is to be opened today. This is the main event in the sphere of tourism during the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Minister Angelkova and Mrs. Köstinger stressed the inseparable connection between sustainability and tourism which contributes to the preservation of Europe’s status as a leading tourist destination worldwide and the popularization of the cultural and historical values of the European Union. They both shared the opinion that there is a great potential for developing the tourism between the two countries.

Minister Angelkova presented to her Austrian colleague the results from the meeting of the ministers of tourism in Sofia, which was held under Bulgaria’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The forum, organized by the Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism in February 2018, gathered more than 500 delegates from the Member-states of the EU and the Western Balkans. The delegates attending the forum emphasized that in order to develop tourism, it is important to use various possibilities for funding the tourist projects under the operational programmes. Elżbieta Bieńkowska, European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs and Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General of the UN World Tourism Organization also joined the forum held in Sofia.

Minister Angelkova officially invited Mrs. Köstinger to visit Bulgaria and wished the Austrian government successful presidency of the Council of the EU and achievement of all the goals set.