Bulgaria Participates for First Time in Tourism Trade International Expo in Izmir

5.12.2024 -

The 18th Tourism Trade International Expo and Congress in Turkiye's Izmir (TTI Izmir), which is considered by professionals to be the largest forum of the sector in the Aegean region, was unveiled on Thursday. The fair, which will run until December 7, has participants from various countries, including Bulgaria for the first time.

Bulgaria is represented by the Albena sea resort, the first to receive the European Resort of Sport award by ACES. The country's stand on an area of 20 sq m gives information on the opportunities Albena offers not only as a seaside resort but also as a year-round destination for spa treatment, spa tourism, sports, and the production of environmentally friendly products, such as fruit juices and wines. Films and programmes prepared especially for the fair are presented on a video screen.

Among the official representatives of the tourism sector at the fair was the Executive Director of Albena AD, Krasimir Stanev, who told BTA that Albena's first presentation at TTI Izmir was successful and fruitful. "We prepared thoroughly for this exhibition, because it is our first participation as a representative of Bulgaria and because Izmir can provide new opportunities for expanding cooperation with the Turkish side. And we were not wrong. It is perfect both in organization and participation of companies and specialists," said Stanev.

He added that the Bulgarian representatives at the exhibition have held a series of meetings and talks with their Turkish counterparts, new initiatives have been agreed on, which are to be implemented in the near future. "In other words, we have made a successful start for the 2025 season. My recommendation is to have more participants from Bulgaria in the future, because the exhibition deserves it. And we will continue to participate because a lot of interest has been shown in us," he noted.

Onur Arikan, who is responsible for international activities at TTI Izmir, told BTA that the Bulgarian stand is very well arranged, with a variety of accents that give a very good insight. "I am personally impressed and have recommended it to colleagues. This is their first participation and as we understood from the discussions we had with the Albena management, it will continue in the future, which will be beneficial. I hope it will be a start for more interest and more visits to Bulgaria, because the Izmir area has considerable potential. We are working in this direction," he said.

TTI Izmir is organized under the auspices of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Association of Turkish Travel Agents (TÜRSAB). Travel and tourism agencies, airlines, ferry companies, hotel chains and responsible representatives of the sector from Turkiye, the Balkans, Central Asia and the Far East are participating with their own stands in the exhibition centre, covering an area of 12,000 square metres. Last year, TTI Izmir attracted over 50,000 visitors.

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