"It is important that the Bulgarian tourism sector remains competitive and flexible and that regulations take into account the real needs of both businesses and travellers. Bulgaria actively participates in the process of discussing the new rules and we will continue to defend the interests of our tour operators, travel agents and consumers within the European institutions," said Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh on the occasion of the discussions in the European Parliament on the changes to the Package Travel Directive.

The Ministry of Tourism has consistently worked to defend the national interest in the EU legislative process in cooperation with Bulgarian MEP Andrey Novakov. Among the main points on which Bulgaria is pushing for changes is the abolition of the restriction that pre-payments on booking should not exceed 25% of the total cost of the package, as well as the ban on requesting the balance earlier than 28 days before the trip. These proposals are essential for small and medium-sized enterprises, which provide the bulk of the country's tourism services.

Another important aspect on which Bulgaria is focusing is the regulation of consumers' right to cancel trips when there are official warnings from public authorities. The ministry and Mr Novakov insist that such advisories should be recognised as a valid reason for cancelling contracts if they occurred after a booking had been made.

Following the issues raised by the representatives of the tourism sector regarding the changes to the Package Travel Directive, Minister Borshosh also met with the Secretary General of the European Travel Agents' and Tour Operators' Associations (ECTAA), Eric Dresin, who in turn expressed the association's support in the negotiations to achieve a balanced text of the Directive that protects consumers but also takes into account the specificities of the business.