Anelia Kroushkova, the newly appointed head of the State Agency for Tourism (SAT), has received public support from the tourism business for her promises to fight corruption in the industry.

On February 13, Kroushkova gave her first news conference as head of the agency. Shortly before the briefing, Kroushkova met representatives of industry stakeholders, including the National Tourism Board and National Association of Tourism Agencies.

Kroushkova said that she had called on business people to submit letters reporting suspected corruption and naming names, and said that she would follow up by investigating such allegations.

“If I merely sense the smell of corruption I shall not spare the person’s name from the media,” Kroushkova said.

Of the current staff of 60 agency employees, she said: “Of course in the next few weeks I will examine their work and decide who I want to keep on the team. I have heard all the rumours about corruption and I think that there is a great extent of truth in them.”

She was referring to allegations that the grading of tourism facilities was the main source for corruption in the agency’s activity.

Currently, there is a delay in the grading of tourism facilities. A total of 826 facilities, including hotels, spa centres, cafeterias, restaurants and others, have not yet been graded.

“With the lack of control over construction, I expect this number to grow rapidly,” Kroushkova said.

A timetable will be set to offset the delays.

She said that tourism’s major problems included the uncertainty about the Natura 2000 environmental conservation network.

“I am planning a meeting with experts from the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry and the Environment Ministry for more information on the network.”

The high rate of valued added tax (VAT) on tour operators was also noted as an issue. Infrastructure and the poor state of qualification of people employed in tourism were also noted as challenges for Bulgaria’s tourism industry.

“A way to improve the services and quality of Bulgarian tourism is through the possibilities provided by EU programmes and funds,” she said.

Kroushkova thanked the business sector for its support and said that liaison between the state and business would guarantee positive results.

As for exhibitions abroad, Kroushkova said that they would continue to be among the SAT’s activities. The next international exhibitions will be in Berlin, Moscow and Kiev, Kroushkova said.

“What I want from everyone is not just to criticise Bulgaria’s participation in such events as it has happened a number of times, but to have ideas how to improve.”

Asked by The Sofia Echo about foreigner prices that still exist in some forms, Kroushkova said: “Making foreigners pay different prices is a form of discrimination and I will fight against that. However, I know that some people have found ways to get around the law with prices for ‘regular customers’, for example. It is wrong but we cannot forbid this.”