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A Bulgarian tourist industry union was formed in Sofia on Tuesday June 6 in the National Palace of Culture.
Members of the new organisation include the three major structures in the sector – the Bulgarian Tourist Chamber (BTC), the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association (BHRA) and the Bulgarian Association of Travel Agents (BATA),
Discord in the country’s tourist industry has prompted calls for a union of interests on previous occasions, resulting in a national tourist board being set up in May. Now, the state agency for Ttourism head Mario al-Djebouri called for the organisations to merge. He added that the problems in the sector could be solved only if the industry was united.
The group elected a 17-member management board and a control council of seven. Petya Slavova, owner of Festa Holding, was appointed chair of the board.
The union's first order of business was to urge Bulgaria's lawmakers to introduce a preferential 7% VAT on tourist services both for foreign and local tourists. The declaration was sent to President Georgi Purvanov, Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and the National Assembly.
Slavova said that she was happy to see all tourist organisations enter the new union, along many private hotel owners. She explained that the state's involvement in tourism was crucial, especially when it came to tax policies and development strategies.
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