Ministry of Tourism focuses on regional advertising to achieve sustainable tourism development

The development of tourism in the different regions of Bulgaria is one of the main priorities of the Ministry of Tourism. According to Minister Borshosh, tourism is a direct way to keep people in their places of origin, as one of the possible solutions to help our country out of the demographic crisis. This became clear during the parliamentary scrutiny, in which Minister Miroslav Borshosh answered two questions – about the measures for advertising the regions and specifically the Montana region, as well as about the progress on the regulations for hiking and mountain biking routes. "The biggest challenge we found is the lack of clearly formulated visions for promotion, advertising and specific themes to work on at local level," Minister Borshosh stressed. He added that: "Even if we have good communication channels, municipalities often lack the necessary resources and specialists to realise their tourism potential."

North-western Bulgaria, along with others, is a region included in the national tourism promotion strategy for 2025. The campaigns are wide-ranging and cover a variety of channels – digital advertising on Google and Meta, PR and event initiatives, thematic radio and TV features, participation in tourism exhibitions focusing on local sites, and the organisation of familiarisation tours. A detailed map of cultural and historical sites and an analysis of the infrastructure leading to them is also underway. "Lack of easy access not only makes it difficult but often also discourages tourists from visiting certain places," the minister said.

During his response, Borshosh stressed that tourism is not just an economic sector, but an opportunity to develop a green economy and keep people in their hometowns. "It is also one of the ways to fight the demographic crisis. We will continue to work actively with local authorities and the industry to build a sustainable tourism environment in Northwest Bulgaria. Advertising is important, but only with good infrastructure and a common vision will we be able to turn the region into a preferred destination," Minister Miroslav Borshosh added.

Asked by another MP about the regulation of the Rules for the establishment, marking and maintenance of hiking and mountain biking trails in the Republic of Bulgaria, Minister Borshosh said that the Ministry of Tourism is coordinating the process of its adoption by the competent institutions. The document has been prepared in partnership with 21 national and regional tourist associations, but currently there is no legal possibility to adopt it by ministerial order. For this reason, the possibility of introducing the regulations through amendments to the Law on Physical Education and Sport is being explored, for which active communication with the Ministry of Youth and Sport is underway.