The Ministry of Tourism Supports Black Sea Municipalities
The Ministry of Tourism has allocated just over 2.2 million leva to the Black Sea municipalities that have signed contracts under the new tourism advertising program. This was revealed by the acting Minister Evtim Miloshev during the first meeting of the Parliament’s Tourism Commission.
The amount paid represents 50% of the funds that the municipalities are supposed to receive according to the contracts signed in December 2023. The remaining funds will be disbursed after the final reporting on the program, which is scheduled to take place between September and December.
Changes in Tourism Advertising Funding Model in Bulgarian Black Sea Municipalities
In a recent announcement, the regular Minister of Tourism, Zaritsa Dinkova, declared a fundamental change in the funding model for tourism advertising in municipalities along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.
The ministry has opened a procedure for applying for the “Program for Financing Marketing Activities of Tourism Services in Black Sea Municipalities in Bulgaria.” The idea is to create a public-private partnership between local authorities and the state. For this purpose, the Ministry of Tourism has allocated 5 million BGN from the ministry’s budget.
Project Funding and Control
According to the Procedure, 60% of the project budget is allocated as new assistance. The remaining 40% must be provided as co-financing from the beneficiary. This means that the Ministry of Tourism does not have direct control over the funds spent under the contracts. While this practice is goal-oriented and beneficial in theory, its effectiveness remains to be seen.
Ministry’s Response to Excessive Campaign Funds
After the programs are accounted for, it is not appropriate for me to make any speculative comments,” he replied to a question from Commission Chairman Tsoncho Ganev about whether the ministry can tell a municipality that the planned funds for a campaign are too much.
“If these programs prove to be ineffective, we will seek new ones. Our resorts need both general advertising and targeted projects to organize visits to our major resorts,” added Evtim Miloshev.
Legislative Initiatives
From the statements made during the meeting…
The Minister’s Update on the Tourist Guarantee Fund
The minister has announced that the department is still working on the long-awaited tourist guarantee fund, but it is still far from creating a final product to be submitted to parliament for approval. Similar funds have been in the works in Bulgaria for over 10 years, but have not yet been implemented.
Assistance for Fire Victims
In addition, the mayor of municipalities affected by the fires has submitted the names of 13 individuals who have lost their homes and may need to be accommodated in hotels. The minister noted that if other people with registered addresses are in need of temporary accommodation, they should reach out for assistance.
Temporary Accommodation for Victims of Fires
For those whose homes were affected by the fires in June and July and are in need of temporary accommodation, there is now a Ukrainian program available. This program allows individuals to be placed in lodging facilities in accordance with the Tourism Law.
