Minister Dinkova presented her team, priorities and vision for the development of Bulgarian tourism to the Tourism Committee in the National Assembly

The Minister of Tourism Zaritza Dinkova presented her vision for the development of Bulgarian tourism, the priorities in her work and her team during the first hearing in the Tourism Committee in the National Assembly. The head of the political cabinet is Mariana Cordova and Irena Georgieva remains deputy minister. Minister Dinkova thanked for the warm and collegial welcome.

"My working style has always been in the direction of partnership and in listening to all parties and seeking the most successful, optimal, mutually beneficial solutions to problems. I have been looking for continuity as well as new energy and new potential to solve the problems facing the sector and, above all, to realise its opportunities," the Minister of Tourism Zaritza Dinkova told the MPs. "This sector provides enormous opportunities for the growth of our economy, and it can also be used very successfully as a tool for soft diplomacy so that Bulgaria enters the hearts of many people around the world with its beauty, its hospitality, its warmth," said Minister Dinkova.

In the first short week of the new cabinet's inauguration, the work done was not small at all, Minister Zaritza Dinkova summed up. The main objective was to secure the work and there was not a single day in the Ministry of Tourism when it was stopped or the document flow was interrupted, the Minister stressed.

In the first days, BGN 17,567,340 were disbursed under the Second Humanitarian Programme for persons from Ukraine granted temporary protection and the processing of the payment lists for the period April-May 2023 is ongoing.
The development of the Third Humanitarian Programme was launched with the experts from the MoT.
A number of meetings were held and planned with representatives of the sector.
It has been agreed to maintain the 9% VAT rate for restaurants, catering services and the general tourist service in the draft state budget for 2023, and this is important to remain as a permanent measure, Minister Dinkova stressed.

Among the problems of the industry, the minister highlighted the shortage of personnel. She informed MPs from the Tourism Committee that a new programme to address staff turnover and up-skilling and training was under discussion, including options for the effective implementation of dual training.

Continuation of the work of the MoT in the main activities such as rhythmic categorization and certification of tourist sites, as well as work with concessionaires to ensure a smooth running of the summer season, continuation of the process of legislative initiatives of the MoT and the establishment of the Guarantee Fund were also among the highlights.

Minister Dinkova also stated the need for the introduction of a law on lobbying to make the existing practices transparent and predictable.

She thanked the MPs, who adopted with full consensus on the day of the hearing the amendments to the Tourism Act, which allows the Ministry of Tourism to promote the country as a tourist destination directly on global platforms without a PSO, efficiently, quickly and transparently.

Among her strategic objectives, Minister Dinkova pointed out the provision of a favourable business environment for the development of sustainable tourism, the development of the competitiveness of the tourism sector through its preparation for digital transformation and the related improvement of the quality of the national tourism product and the successful positioning of the brand Bulgaria, as well as the balanced development of tourist regions.

Minister Zaritza Dinkova informed the MPs about all urgent actions taken to ensure a calm summer season in the context of the risks of pollution of the Black Sea waters after the incident with the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine.