Minister Baltova and Mariana Oleskiv, Head of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine, discussed opportunities for expanding cooperation in tourism

The Minister of Tourism Stella Baltova held a work meeting with Mariana Oleskiv, Head of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine. The event, which also included business representatives, is part of a working visit of Mrs. Oleskiv to Bulgaria at the invitation of the Caretaker Minister and it is no coincidence that the visit takes place on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, in the sea resort of Sunny Beach.

The main purpose of the visit is the opportunity to expand and deepen the bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Ukraine in the field of tourism.

Minister Baltova announced that Ukraine is a desirable and promising market, as the country is in third place in terms of tourist visits with a growth of 377% since the beginning of the year, according to the Unified System for Tourist Information for overnight stays of tourists in accommodation, compared to 2020. She assured that since June, the recovery of the tourism sector is a lasting tendency and the Ministry of Tourism is working closely with the health authorities to ensure the safety of the guests of the Bulgarian resorts.

Those arriving from Ukraine travel mainly by car and bus, there are also regular flights to Burgas every week.

Mariana Oleskiv who is visiting our country for the first time, expressed confidence that Bulgaria is one of the favourite destinations for Ukraine tourists because of the hospitality and the feeling of being at home. She assured that her country can also offer a diverse and interesting tourist product, especially in the region of Bessarabia, where there is a Bulgarian community with rich historical roots and cultural traditions. Oleskiv said that wine and culinary tourism can be practiced in the region and a big autumn festival with such a focus is currently being prepared.

The participants in the forum agreed on the need for active cooperation in the field of experts, staff training and priority raising the image of professions in the field of tourism – an issue that is relevant in both Bulgaria and Ukraine. Representatives of the tourism sector confirmed that hoteliers are most satisfied with Ukrainian seasonal workers on the Black Sea coast. According to business data, more than 20 thousand foreign workers are currently working on the Bulgarian coast, and more than half are from Ukraine. Many of them improve their skills, love Bulgaria and often return as tourists.

It was proposed that a business forum for children and youth tourism be held in Bulgaria in 2022, as there is active work with children from Ukraine who come to camps on our Black Sea coast.

Representatives of the business thanked again the Ministry of Tourism for the assistance provided in resolving the problem with the Ukrainian buses with tourists, which were prevented from passing through Romania in May.

According to Vitaliy Moskalenko’s words, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Bulgaria, who was part of the delegation of guests, the discussions were interesting, important and timely, and the dialogue – productive and professional.

After the discussions, the guests visited tourist sites and accommodation facilities, where the Ukrainian children are placed, and made sure of the excellent quality of the tourist product offered.