Minister Angelkova takes part in the opening of the Eighth Conference of Danube Cities and Regions

The Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria Nikolina Angelkova joined the work of the Fourth Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. In the framework of the forum, she participated in the opening of the Eighth Conference of the Danube Cities and Regions and met with European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Kretsu.

“The Council of Danube Cities and Regions has established itself as a successful platform for cooperation, with areas of interaction on the increase. It contributes to the development of a strong, economically and culturally connected Danube Region”, Minister Angelkova said at the opening of the conference. In her words, an enormous potential for cooperation exists in the areas of tourism and culture, which are closely interrelated. According to analyzes conducted by the World Tourism Organization, in 2020 cultural tourism will be leading internationally. “I am confident that cooperation between local, regional and national authorities can contribute significantly to improving the competitiveness of the entire region”, she added.

"Tourism is the main pillar of the Danube region economies. Statistics shows that last year they were visited by more than 120 million tourists and revenues from this activity amounted to over 70 billion euro”, Minister Angelkova stressed. While tourist flows change, Europe is becoming a major destination for tourists from Asia. They are looking for opportunities to travel and stay on the continent within weeks and even months. “In this context, the countries of the region can be more competitive if we join efforts and offer joint tourism products. Therefore it is very important to work for the establishment and enforcement of a common brand Danube”, Nikolina Angelkova said.

The conference was organized at the initiative of the European Commission and the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg and is held on 29 and 30 October 2015 in Ulm, Germany. Among the participants are representatives of European institutions, ministers, MPs, experts from the Danube countries, etc.