Bulgaria aims to become an international hub for tourism education

Bulgaria is launching two international initiatives aimed at establishing the country as a hub for international education and knowledge exchange within the tourism sector. During the ‘Europe – Asia’ Interregional Tourism Forum in Montenegro, Tourism Minister Ilin Dimitrov met with UN Tourism Secretary-General Sheikh Al Nuais, as well as tourism ministers from Montenegro and Cyprus.

A primary focus of these efforts is the expansion of the Association of Higher Education Institutions Training Tourism Personnel, based in Bulgaria. The goal is to attract European and global universities to the association, creating an international platform for professional training.

Additionally, Bulgaria introduced an Observatory for the Quality and Sustainability of Tourism Products, which will use real-time data to provide periodic assessments of tourism destinations. Bulgaria has also begun preparations to host a UN Tourism forum dedicated to cultural tourism and education in May 2027, potentially located in the Rose Valley with support from UNESCO.