Delegates from Armenia, Cyprus, Portugal, Germany, Turkmenistan and the Vatican visited Plovdiv this Saturday as part of the program of the 68th session of the World Tourism Organization's Regional Commission for Europe in Sofia. They were welcomed by Plamen Panov, Deputy Mayor for Culture, Archaeology and Tourism at the Plovdiv Municipality and accompanied during their stay in the city by representatives of the Tourism Department of the Plovdiv Municipality and the Ministry of Tourism.
The guests took a cultural and sightseeing tour including the leading tourist sites in the city: The Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis, the Ancient Theatre, the House of Stepan Hindliyan, the Regional Ethnographic Museum, the Church "St. St. Constantine and Helena", Pharmacy Museum Hippocrates and the Roman Stadium.
During their visit, the delegates were very impressed by the sights visited, the warm hospitality and the Bulgarian cuisine and traditional local wines. This highly impactful, technical visit ended with many of them promising to visit Plovdiv again, this time with their families and friends.
Just a few days ago, Bulgaria was elected to the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization for the term 2023-2027. Bulgaria was elected after a contested vote and received support, along with the Czech Republic, Italy and Lithuania as new members of the Executive Council.
Bulgaria's participation in international structures contribute to the country's image as a tourist destination that shares the Organization's vision in promoting competitive and sustainable tourism policies that define tourism as an engine for economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability.
Our country's hosting of the 68th Session of the Regional Commission for Europe is a major international recognition that has enabled the Bulgarian tourism product to be presented to an extremely wide and professionally oriented audience - ministers, government officials, business representatives, academics and others.