Bulgaria: Culture Minister Chavdar Georgiev participates in Pamporovo International Forum

The Bulgarian Minister of Culture, Chavdar Georgiev, participated in the Pamporovo International Forum – The Heart of Brand Rhodopes. Cultural and historical tourism as a factor in the region’s development”.

The conference was held on June 16 in Pamporovo. Standard organized it, the national campaign “Wonders of Bulgaria”, the Credo Bonum Foundation, the National Tourism Board and the Cultural Heritage Society – an official representative of the largest European organization for the preservation of the cultural heritage of the Old Continent “Europe Nostra” in Bulgaria.

Deputy Minister Georgiev said, “Thank you for working with us to promote cultural heritage so that it is recognizable and has its proper place on the cultural and tourist map of Europe and the world.” This is what the deputy stated. -the minister of culture arch. Chavdar Georgiev during the conference. 

Minister Georgiev pointed out that the Ministry of Culture has been working purposefully for more than ten years, financing the research and excavations of over 120 archaeological sites”. 

He added, “They are cultural values of national importance, and quite a few are of global value. The point is that this money is insufficient to develop tourism. There is also a need for targeted funding in socialization projects and investments in accompanying infrastructure in digitalization”.

He was adamant that it was necessary to attract museums, galleries and cultural event organizers even more actively to participate in the cultural calendars of each municipality. “If such projects are being prepared, we will occupy an increasingly worthy place on the cultural map of Europe,” the deputy pointed out. -the minister of culture.

The deputy assured that the recommendations of the campaign “Wonders of Bulgaria” and the forum “Pamporovo – the heart of Brand Rhodopes” will be considered when drafting plans of the Ministry of Culture for funding. – Minister Georgiev. 

The mayors of Devin, Rudozem, Borino, Madan, Sarnitsa, Momchilovtsi and Shiroka Laka committed to submitting proposals as soon as possible to the department.

Among their ideas are: to create a register of cultural monuments for which the local government has a vision of development and can acquire an act of ownership over them;

• Additionally, to allocate sufficient funds in a special fund for research, restoration and conservation of sites; to provide funds for the socialization of cultural monuments. 

•  Provision of management of cultural monuments to the local government by the decision of the Council of Ministers; 

• Popularization of tourist destinations; shortening the deadlines for issuing apartments for investment purposes in real estate cultural values – within a month or two, not 8-10, as it is now; 

• Caves and other natural phenomena that tourist companies now manage to pass control to the municipalities currently maintaining the adjacent infrastructure.