On May 26, State Agency for Tourism head Anelia Kroushkova opened a seminar on the utilisation of European Union structural finds in Bulgarian tourism. "We are all aware that we lack means for everything. Now is the moment to decide which programmes we will apply for and which tourism activities we need money for,” Kroushkova said, as quoted by Focus news agency.

Bulgaria’s neighbouring countries offer attractive tourist services. “We have the means to influence the quality of the services on offer,” Kroushkova said. The development of the tourism sector in Bulgaria depended on improvement in the economic, social and environmental fields, including through the use of EU funds.

The improvement of the economic field would improve Bulgarian tourism’s competitiveness and would lead to new attractive services. The increase of the revenue should increase the number of tourists, Kroushkova said.

In terms of social development, that meant improving the qualifications of the employees in the tourism sector, as well as the labour conditions, while the environment played a key role in maintaining both supply and demand at a high level, she added.