BULGARIA and the Netherlands will co-operate on the preservation of historic towns by introducing public-private partnerships (PPP) for operating cultural heritage sites.
The Netherlands' Spatial Planning, Housing and Environment Ministry will provide aid for restoring, preserving and revitalising historic towns in Bulgaria. Minister Sybilla Dekker announced this on June 2, during the opening of a Bulgarian-Dutch seminar on sustainable development of historic towns, which she attended as part of her two day visit to Bulgaria.
Bulgaria, like the Netherlands, has more than ten sites included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Dekker said. Bulgaria has a lot to offer international visitors in the field of culture and art, she said.
Greeting the participants in the seminar, Deputy Economy Minister Dimitar Hadjinikolov said the promotion of cultural and historical travel is among the Bulgarian Government's priorities. This country offers perfect opportunities to combine recreation at the seaside with cultural, historical, rural, and eco tourism, Hadjinikolov said.
Cultural and historical travel is a lucrative type of business because the service is preferred by wealthier people, who are prepared to spend more money, Hadjinikolov said. Many small municipalities, with rich and well-preserved cultural and historical heritage, can therefore benefit from the promotion of the service. This is also important for its job creation potential, he said.
Deputy Regional Development Minister Petya Gegova briefed the participants in the seminar on national legislation concerning the protection of cultural heritage. The Government is drafting a bill on cultural monuments, Gegova said. She praised the Dutch proposal to employ the so-called PPP's in the process but added that such schemes have not previously been used in Bulgaria and are not mentioned or authorised by legislation.
The seminar was organised by the Netherlands' Spatial Planning, Housing and Environment Ministry, the Bulgarian Ministries of Economy, Culture, and Regional Development, the Netherlands Embassy in Sofia, and the Bulgarianx Embassy in the Hague. The seminar was hosted by the Bulgarian company Yanadel.
- Business Staff
The Netherlands' Spatial Planning, Housing and Environment Ministry will provide aid for restoring, preserving and revitalising historic towns in Bulgaria. Minister Sybilla Dekker announced this on June 2, during the opening of a Bulgarian-Dutch seminar on sustainable development of historic towns, which she attended as part of her two day visit to Bulgaria.
Bulgaria, like the Netherlands, has more than ten sites included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Dekker said. Bulgaria has a lot to offer international visitors in the field of culture and art, she said.
Greeting the participants in the seminar, Deputy Economy Minister Dimitar Hadjinikolov said the promotion of cultural and historical travel is among the Bulgarian Government's priorities. This country offers perfect opportunities to combine recreation at the seaside with cultural, historical, rural, and eco tourism, Hadjinikolov said.
Cultural and historical travel is a lucrative type of business because the service is preferred by wealthier people, who are prepared to spend more money, Hadjinikolov said. Many small municipalities, with rich and well-preserved cultural and historical heritage, can therefore benefit from the promotion of the service. This is also important for its job creation potential, he said.
Deputy Regional Development Minister Petya Gegova briefed the participants in the seminar on national legislation concerning the protection of cultural heritage. The Government is drafting a bill on cultural monuments, Gegova said. She praised the Dutch proposal to employ the so-called PPP's in the process but added that such schemes have not previously been used in Bulgaria and are not mentioned or authorised by legislation.
The seminar was organised by the Netherlands' Spatial Planning, Housing and Environment Ministry, the Bulgarian Ministries of Economy, Culture, and Regional Development, the Netherlands Embassy in Sofia, and the Bulgarianx Embassy in the Hague. The seminar was hosted by the Bulgarian company Yanadel.
- Business Staff
