Minister Angelkova receives an award by the Balkan Alliance of Hotel Organizations for contribution to the development of tourism

The Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova has received the award "Person of Tourism in the Balkans for the year 2015 and a Minister with Special Contribution to the Sector Development” of the Balkan Alliance of Hotel Organizations. This happened in a ceremony in Montenegro within the Conference of Interregional Cooperation „Destination as a Brand“. The award was handed by the Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro  Branimir Gvozdenović.

"The Balkans have all natural and cultural resources to become one of the most visited tourist destinations and this depends on the mutual efforts of the government and business representatives", said Minister Angelkova during the opening of the conference. In her opinion, in a globalized environment it is important to enhance the cooperation between the Balkan countries in order to be competitive on the global tourist market. "Such events are of vital importance, because they strengthen the connections and launch new partnerships", she said. In her speech, Minister Angelkova thanked for the honour and underlined that the award is a recognition for the work of the executive authority, the efficient partnership with the municipalities and most of all for the efforts of the tourist sector in Bulgaria.

Earlier, both ministers signed an agreement for cooperation between Bulgaria and Montenegro in the field of tourism. One of the objectives laid down in the document is the improvement of the contacts and tourism connections between both countries. Actions will be undertaken for better presentation of the cultural and historical traditions, as well as facilitation of the tourist exchange procedures between Bulgaria and Montenegro.

According to data of the National Statistical Institute in the first 4 months of 2016 some 2,000 Montenegrin tourists visited Bulgaria, while more than 1,200 Bulgarians travelled to Montenegro through the same period. It is highly prospective to develop common products for the remote markets between both countries.

The „Destination as a Brand“ conference was attended by representatives of the tourism sector from Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, the Balkan Alliance of the Hospitality Associations, the Association of Hotel Owners, managers and representatives of the summit in the field of tourism in Eastern Europe etc. The conference was focused on the opportunities for cooperation between the countries in the region for attracting more tourists and on the steps for turning Eastern Europe into one of the most attractive international tourism destinations.