An Italian team of experts prepared the strategy for the development and management of cultural tourism in Bulgaria, to support the activities of the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture and other Bulgarian stakeholders, including Bulgaria’s State Tourism Agency.

The Italian experts involved in the project include high-ranking staff of the Archaeological Superintendence of Pompeii, professors from the University of Naples - Department of Tourism Marketing and Tourism Economy, experts on infrastructural networks and international consultants on the development of tourism. The Italian team is assisted by a number of highly qualified Bulgarian cultural heritage experts, coming also from the academic world.         

The project was born three years ago with the signing of a protocol between the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, on one side, and the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, the Archaeological Superintendence of Pompeii, the Campania Region, the Italian National Association of Builders, Campania branch, on the other, and it is fully funded by the Campania Region of Italy, with European Union funds.

The main activities of the project were:

* In-depth research of most of the country to analyse cultural heritage assets, their state of conservation, their management activities, their accessibility for visitors, their connection to the main national infrastructural networks, their integration with  the economic and productive environment and their use by the cultural and tourism stakeholders at domestic and international level. The research was undertaken by five interdisciplinary teams (archaeologists, economists, infrastructure experts, tourism experts) which toured the country and prepared detailed fiches for each relevant cultural heritage asset.

* Based on the territorial research, 13 areas of interest were identified, considered by the Italian experts in agreement with their Bulgarian counterparts, worthy of development.

* Market research was done in three areas - international and domestic tour operators; Bulgarian opinion leaders (public and private, national and local Bulgarian entities, NGOs, trade associations, all involved in tourism management and marketing); and the accommodation system (hotels and any other accommodation facility in the 13 selected areas) to evaluate the real use and occupancy of the present accommodation possibilities and to prepare a gap analysis to fill the possible existing need both on the quantitative and qualitative aspects.

* The identification, study and preparation of a strategy for development, from the areas of interest, and site management, infrastructures and marketing point of views.

* The fifth and last activity of the project is the implementation of the proposed strategy on a pilot project chosen by the Bulgarian authorities within the 13 identified areas of interest.

The results of the analysis and of the research but, most importantly, the proposed Strategy for the Development of Cultural Tourism in Bulgaria, will be presented for approval to the Ministry of Culture and to the other stakeholders within the month of June 2009.  
       
Major findings of the study are the richness of important cultural heritage assets spread around the country and the unavailability, at present, of internationally competitive and sustainable cultural tourism products ready to be enjoyed by the tourists: a national strategy, to be shared with and used by local authorities and private stakeholders, is also missing in Bulgaria.

Tourism and culture are two very important assets for the economic development of the country and the for the composition of the national GDP: with this strategy, Italy is willing to provide Bulgaria a working tool and best practices to assist public and private stakeholders to become more effective and competitive in this field.