Assoc. Prof. Dr Stella Baltova, Minister of Tourism
What are the most common problems you need to solve as a caretaker Minister of Tourism?
Tourism has been the most severely affected sector globally since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and its impact has many dimensions. Travel restrictions worldwide have changed people's motivation to choose a destination and have altered consumer behaviour. At the same time, the crisis has put the sector in a challenging position, as the business environment has changed entirely, de facto some parts of the tourism sector have been wholly deprived of the opportunity to function, asset investments are threatened. At the same time, the state needs a working business. So everyday problems are related to providing an environment for restoring the viability of the tourism business: the successful implementation of measures to support and cover losses, problems with the passage of tourists through third countries, sometimes due to different regimes to control the anti-epidemic situation. However, the mainline we follow is to develop policies for the successful presentation of Bulgaria as a tourist destination and integration of our strategic goals at the regional level through the Organizations for Management of Tourist Areas.
What was the summer season, and what kind of winter are we preparing for?
Summer 2021 is a far more challenging season than 2020, provided that the epidemic situation in the country and across the world was no better than last year. Nevertheless, we observe a better recovery compared to the main sea destinations in Europe, where the growth was from 30% to 50% compared to 2020. The domestic market manages to compensate for the decline of foreign visitors.
The sector's viability was restored over the last three months, thanks to the measures package we continued and the new ones we introduced, such as the Together Again program. Of course, an important circumstance is the responsibility of the business to comply with the health protocol. The optimistic forecast to reach 50% of the realized volumes in 2019 has a real shot for the summer season. The staff's and visitor's health and safety is a top priority. We monitor the situation daily; I could say every minute, in all regions - in the country and worldwide. We work in highly close cooperation and harmony with other ministries and institutions. We use appropriate tools for this purpose; we conduct inspections with other bodies according to their competencies. Restoring tourism is a function of the responsibility of each stakeholder. And once again, the most important thing is the safety and security of Bulgaria as a destination. It's our image.
The winter season will be particularly challenging because the determining factor for foreign tourists will be the share of the vaccinated population, rather than the number of infected in specific weeks (we witnessed how we passed through three colour zones in literally two weeks). Feeling safe and secure will be the essential factor for choice, and our task is to make sure that the tourists choose Bulgaria, provided they can travel.
Will the industry withstand another lockdown?
During the period June-August, the business showed entrepreneurial proactivity, searched for solutions, diversification. I strongly want to show other sectors of the economy that tourism is going boldly through difficulties and deserves the public's attention and support.
As optimistic as I am, the crisis is not over. We live in an unprecedented time. The pandemic changed everything, and all of us, both business and institutions in Bulgaria, in the EU, in the world, had to learn some difficult lessons. It has become clear that resilience is lowest when competencies are weakest. With the evolution of the crisis, which is very likely, its consequences get more difficult to predict and become unclearer. It's unlikely that the business will recover back to its usual form. Adequate information and a package of specific socio-economic support measures, I believe, are the most necessary resource for the tourism business to be able to withstand substantial restrictions.
Are there any resources left to support the tourism sector for another lockdown?
Incentives in an economy are not only direct grants, which, if they last long enough and on a large scale, can also lead to anti-market behaviour. For example, the entrepreneurs and customers will undoubtedly appreciate using the maximum capacity of restaurants with 100% staff. However, if the national budget is not updated, the envisaged measures to compensate for the losses from the restrictions will not be implemented. That will lead to a decline in the sector's recovery and more serious, difficult-to-reverse processes.
Where do you, the Minister of Tourism, choose to travel and rest?
In Bulgaria - I can't do without the mountains - the noise of the forest, the clear streams, and the Black Sea coast, where resting isn't as isolated, rather a time to meet with loved ones and access what's native.
What is the best advertisement for Bulgarian tourism?
2021 has a different nuance related to the top priority - preserving the visitors' and workers' of tourism health, and at the same time, a solid challenge to restore tourism. It is almost impossible to predict when people will start travelling again and what it will look like. These circumstances also make the messages challenging. Ours is to provide such an image of the destination that tourists can choose Bulgaria for their vacation and hold an event.
The availability of new direct flights to the airports of our tourist destinations indicates the measured risk of airlines. Many modern airlines are vibrant channels for selling travel services.
Therefore, I can state the following with all my convictions: Bulgaria is a safe destination for recreation, experiences, and events.
Is there anything you had no time to take care of as temporary Minister of Tourism, and what is your take on your mandate?
The limited-time we had, marked by the strong negative impact of the pandemic and related to actions to provide a favourable environment for business recovery, as well as efforts to prevent the crisis deepening, is certainly not enough to eradicate legitimate but harmful practices in one sector, as well as to show the fruits of the set strategies. Nevertheless, the balance is positive, because from day one, my task was to save the summer and the essential tourist season for Bulgaria and this, no doubt, happened above expectations. I am glad that we undertook strategies that focused on the markets in the "bubble" of Central and Eastern European countries, where we have sustainable growth, and on the attention of Bulgarians as visitors. We gave a clear direction that maritime tourism is increasing in the context of blue development - as a recreational activity and as an activity in which the circular economy can move and minimizing our carbon footprint by rediscovering our Black Sea coast.
Your wish toward the employers of the tourism sector?
First of all, congratulations to them that most of them were entrepreneurial and chose to work actively. There are times of intense travel ahead and business travellers who will not remain the same. The type of travel and the concentration of tourist places will change, as will the content of the tourist service. I hope that the example of those who have started to diversify and focus on healthy solutions, thus saving their business, will become contagious.
Your wish toward the future Minister of Tourism?
To develop further the national tourism policy in the light of the "green transition", the digital transformation and the blue economy, provided they don't enter in the twelfth hour of the forthcoming season.
