The 68th meeting of the UN’s World Tourism Organization met in Sofia (31st May-2nd June), where the Regional Commission for Europe assessed the state of tourism, education, jobs and investments for a more inclusive and sustainable future in the region. 

The UNWTO delegation welcomed the Bulgarian Government’s work to diversify its tourism sector, with a focus on growing new areas including wellness, health and gastronomy tourism and supporting rural communities. The UNWTO held a meeting to update members on the creation of a Bachelor’s Degree in Sustainable Tourism Management and to launch a toolkit designed to help make tourism a subject in highschools worldwide.

Investments were identified as a key priority for the sector, and the UNWTO set the stage for World Tourism Day 2023 with its theme of ‘Green Investments’. Sustainability was also addressed, with the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative and the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism being key works. The UNWTO Regional Director outlined how European Members championed tourism as a driver of resilience and recovery in the aftermath of the pandemic and the fragile socio-political situation in the region. 

Prime Minister Donev welcomed the latest UNWTO data which shows Bulgaria is among the fastest recovering of European destinations, with international arrivals in the first quarter of year 27% higher than in 2019.

“European tourism is recovering strongly and on track to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year. This is exactly the time to step up our efforts to transform our sector, with a skilled workforce and proper investments vital for making it more resilient, sustainable and inclusive,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

Finally, the UNWTO announced that Albania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Romania and Uzbekistan will benefit from their collaboration.