Sofia, September 14 (BTA) - In the summer of 2021, tourists who spent their holiday on the Bulgarian Black Sea coastline increased by 70 per cent compared with the previous summer, Tourism Minister Stela Baltova said at a meeting with senior executives from the sector on Tuesday. She described the summer 2021 season as dynamic, not easy, and quite short.

Until the end of August, seaside holiday-makers numbered 3.7 million, including 1.4 million foreigners, Baltova said. The largest number of foreigners were from Romania; they increased by 103 per cent compared with summer 2020. Significant growth was also registered in visitors from Poland, Germany, Ukraine and Czechia. Bulgaria is working actively to regain its position on the Scandinavian market.

The Tourism Ministry is already devising a marketing programme for 2022, Baltova went on to say. Later this month, Bulgaria will sign a tourism memorandum with Poland. Tourism Act amendments are being prepared to grant autonomy to the country's nine tourist regions.

"The government will continue to support the sector because it is the face of Bulgaria," the minister said. She noted that 5.1 million leva is left from the second phase of the tour operator support scheme, and now the best ways are being sought for businesses to benefit from the aid. Guides will receive further support, but first it should be established which guides are actually operational. Bulgaria expects to receive 1.5 million antigen tests from the EU, which will be distributed among the regional health inspectorates.

Expectations of the forthcoming winter tourist season are moderately optimistic. The sector will suffer from an electricity price hike, particularly lift and snow cannon owners. More attention should be paid to the transportation of tourists by lift because people tend to assemble in large numbers, Baltova warned. PP/VE