BULGARIA lags behind other European countries in the use of electronic marketing in tourism and must make an effort to close the gap.
This was said on February 2 by Deputy Economy Minister Dimitar Hadjinikolov at the opening of the 19th Annual Research Directors’ Meeting of the European Travel Commission (ETC) that was held in Sofia.
Four hundred million tourists visit Europe annually, ETC Executive Director Rob Franklin said. As a member of the commission, Bulgaria will be able to benefit from the e-marketing that the organisation is developing, he said. The question of tourism markets suitable for Bulgaria was discussed during the meeting.
Electronic marketing should replace tourism brochures if business is to be boosted, Franklin said. He said that tourists in Europe are expected to increase by about five per cent this year.
Being a relatively new destination, Bulgaria should take advantage of this increase. He urged the country to advertise more of its attractions other than the sea and the mountains.
According to Economy Ministry statistics, last year Bulgaria was visited by 4.6 million foreign tourists.
ETC Research Working Group chairman Leslie Vella said the purpose of the organisation was to create a “Europe trademark”. He argued that competition in tourism was no longer within Europe but with more distant destinations.
During its four-day meeting, the ETC Research Working Group approved its budget for the period until 2007 and determined the strategy for development of tourism in conditions of intensified Internet use and electronic commerce in the travel business.
The Brussels-based ETC, established in 1948, affiliates 33 national tourism organisations of Europe, including Romania and Bulgaria which joined the commission in 1993.
ETC is a non-profit organisation and its main objectives are to promote Europe as an attractive tourist destination, to assist member organisations in exchanging knowledge and work collaboratively, to provide industry partners and other interested parties with easy access to material and information regarding inbound tourism to Europe.
This was said on February 2 by Deputy Economy Minister Dimitar Hadjinikolov at the opening of the 19th Annual Research Directors’ Meeting of the European Travel Commission (ETC) that was held in Sofia.
Four hundred million tourists visit Europe annually, ETC Executive Director Rob Franklin said. As a member of the commission, Bulgaria will be able to benefit from the e-marketing that the organisation is developing, he said. The question of tourism markets suitable for Bulgaria was discussed during the meeting.
Electronic marketing should replace tourism brochures if business is to be boosted, Franklin said. He said that tourists in Europe are expected to increase by about five per cent this year.
Being a relatively new destination, Bulgaria should take advantage of this increase. He urged the country to advertise more of its attractions other than the sea and the mountains.
According to Economy Ministry statistics, last year Bulgaria was visited by 4.6 million foreign tourists.
ETC Research Working Group chairman Leslie Vella said the purpose of the organisation was to create a “Europe trademark”. He argued that competition in tourism was no longer within Europe but with more distant destinations.
During its four-day meeting, the ETC Research Working Group approved its budget for the period until 2007 and determined the strategy for development of tourism in conditions of intensified Internet use and electronic commerce in the travel business.
The Brussels-based ETC, established in 1948, affiliates 33 national tourism organisations of Europe, including Romania and Bulgaria which joined the commission in 1993.
ETC is a non-profit organisation and its main objectives are to promote Europe as an attractive tourist destination, to assist member organisations in exchanging knowledge and work collaboratively, to provide industry partners and other interested parties with easy access to material and information regarding inbound tourism to Europe.
