The summer stage with the musical group TRIGAIDA and Stefan Valdobrev gathered hundreds in the heart of the Rhodopes

The Ministry of Tourism, in partnership with the Municipality of Chepelare, organized an outdoor cultural event as part of its initiatives to promote mountain tourism during the summer season. The aim is to highlight the potential of mountain destinations to offer a variety of experiences and complete relaxation.

The event took place on Olympic Square and combined a presentation of traditional Rhodope dishes with a musical program. Visitors had the opportunity to get acquainted with Rhodope cuisine and enjoy performances by TRIGAIDA and Stefan Valdobrev with musicians from "The Usual Suspects.". They also performed the song "Svoboden" (Free) – the lead single from the artist's upcoming album "Acoustics of Bulgaria," which the Ministry of Tourism chose as a symbolic message for the freedom to travel, discover new places, and experience new things in Bulgarian destinations. Among the guests at the event was Bulgaria's best snowboarder, Radoslav Yankov.

"Chepelare is everything that the Ministry and I would like to see in a municipality," said Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh. "Here, the local authorities, together with the state, have managed to create exceptional conditions for tourism. Cleanliness, orderliness, and hospitality—without these, there is no tourism. That is why we are honouring Chepelare – because we are proud of everything you do," the minister emphasized. He highly praised the municipality's active role in the development of the sector in the country.

Earlier in the day, the first edition of the national campaign "Postcard from..." was launched under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism. This was officially announced at a press conference in Pamporovo in the presence of Olympic biathlon champion Ekaterina Dafovska. The initiative is being implemented by the National Information Agency Bgtourism.bg and aims to promote domestic tourism through a modern, inspiring, and emotional approach that combines nostalgia for traditional postcards with the possibilities of the modern digital world.

The campaign brings back memories of the times when we used postcards to connect and share our favorite places, but brings it into the present through digital possibilities and personal messages. Each destination will select a popular personality who will write a short message to tourists on the back of a specially designed online postcard, while the front of the card will feature a beautiful photo that captures the spirit and identity of the place.

"The Ministry of Tourism supports the campaign as part of its efforts to promote sustainable domestic tourism. Through modern communication approaches, the initiative contributes to the wider presentation of Bulgarian destinations and encourages travel in the country. Similar projects are an important element of the national policy to increase interest in Bulgaria's cultural, natural, and regional wealth," said Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh.

Alongside the main initiative, a special Facebook group has been created – "Postcard from..." (https://www.facebook.com/groups/postcardfrom [2]), where every Bulgarian can participate by sharing a photo of their favourite place in Bulgaria. A professional jury will select 10 photos for the final, and through a national online vote, the photo that will be printed and distributed at the end of the year as a real postcard from Bgtourism.bg will be chosen. The initiative will continue until September on the online platform and in the official Facebook group for the campaign.

In the resort of Pamporovo, another event took place—the Second National Scientific Conference on Climate Therapy on "The Role of Climate Therapy Resorts for Health—the Example of Pamporovo." The forum brought together representatives of the scientific, medical, and tourism communities, as well as institutions and local authorities, to discuss the potential of climate therapy resorts in Bulgaria and the opportunities for developing health tourism.

Minister Miroslav Borshosh emphasized that climate therapy is an essential part of our country's modern, sustainable, and year-round tourism product. He added that: "We believe that the future of tourism includes health as a core value. In times of global challenges, people are looking not just for rest, but for opportunities for recovery, prevention, and a quality life. That is why climate therapy should be seen not only as a therapeutic practice, but as an integrated element of the tourist experience." The minister also stated that the development of health tourism should seek cross-sectoral partnerships involving health institutions, the scientific community, the tourism industry, and local authorities. "We support the development of climate therapy resorts that combine natural resources with high standards of care and innovation. We are convinced that a sustainable tourism model requires integrated solutions between tourism, healthcare, and science," said Minister Miroslav Borshosh.

The events are part of the Ministry of Tourism's campaign to encourage domestic tourism and promote mountain destinations offering various forms of tourism throughout the year.