The proposed change was announced on World Tourism Day and would redirect 50% of tourism-tax revenue toward promotional activities and events designed to support air connectivity. The measure has been described as part of planned legislative changes and has not yet taken effect.
According to the Bulgarian News Agency, Dimitrov said the proposed allocation would decentralize tourism promotion and support an increase in events, festivals and sporting events across Bulgaria. The government also links the initiative to efforts to extend the tourism season.
The proposal comes as Bulgaria is reviewing the way tourism policy is managed at national and local levels. The Tourism Ministry has recently outlined reforms focused on investment, marketing, connectivity and tourism-product quality.
Dimitrov also said that approximately 135,000 people work in Bulgaria’s tourism sector. The minister referred to recent cooperation between the Bulgarian government and TUI, including a three-year memorandum covering joint promotional activities and campaigns. TUI has indicated plans to increase the number of tourists it brings to Bulgaria from 200,000 to 400,000, according to the Bulgarian News Agency.
Dimitrov said TUI had also expressed interest in investments in Bulgaria, including the potential development of hotels operating under TUI brands.
The minister also referred to plans for a TUI marathon in Burgas between Eurovision and the start of the active summer tourism season. Preparations for Eurovision are under way, with associated connectivity improvements expected to be part of the event planning.
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| Tourism Minister Ilin Dimitrov |
The Tourism Ministry has said that it intends to pursue similar cooperation with other major international tourism groups rather than working exclusively with TUI.
Dimitrov added that TUI could potentially expand its operations bringing tourists from the United Kingdom to Bulgaria in 2028 if cooperation develops as planned in 2027.
Final figures for Bulgaria’s 2026 Summer tourism season are not yet available. Dimitrov said results were expected to be close to those of the previous season and described the beginning of the 2026 season as difficult because of the loss of some markets.
The proposed tourism-tax allocation is part of a wider set of tourism-policy measures being developed by the Bulgarian government. Earlier in September, the Tourism Ministry said it was changing the way the state works with the tourism sector, with investment, marketing, connectivity and product quality among the areas identified for reform.
The government has also set a target of increasing the number of foreign tourists visiting Bulgaria to eight million annually by the end of its current term, compared with around four million previously, while maintaining the existing level of domestic tourism.
Tags: TUI foreign tourists Bulgaria
