Bulgaria's national tourism representation became a member of the Russian Tour Operators Association, Bulgarian Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelakova said on Saturday, as quoted by her Ministry. The accession is an acknowledgement for Bulgaria's important place on the Russian tourism market and an indication of the high regard of the large Russian tour operators for Bulgaria as a travel destination,Angelakova said, speaking at a news conference during Intourmarket, the international travel fair in Moscow.
This year Bulgaria is using 200 square metres of exhibition space at Intourmarket.
Despite a decrease in 2014, Russia is still the fourth largest sending country for tourists to Bulgaria with an annual flow of 650,000 tourists, accounting for 9 per cent of international tourists visiting Bulgaria, Angelakova said. Measures are already in place to relax the Bulgarian visa procedures for Russian travellers, she said.