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Victoria Mindova

New opportunities for investment and tourism are rising on the horizon in the Balkans after the tripartite meeting in the luxury tourist complex Porto Caras in Halkidiki, Greece. "In the new economic conditions, Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey can cooperate in the field of tourism if tour operators prepare a new type of tourist package that will offer holidays in Bulgarian ski resorts at promotional prices for those spending their vacation in Greece and Turkey throughout the year", this was the proposal of the general manager of the Bulgarian spa and ski resort VihrenPalace in Bansko.

1.6 million Bulgarians, or 32% of the population have visited Greece in 2009, which makes by the Bulgarian tourists in Greece a "Joy of God" especially in times of crisis. This was the speech of the President of the Bulgarian-Greek Chamber of Commerce Panayotis Kutsikous which organized the first Greek-Bulgarian-Turkish Tourism Forum in Halkidiki. The forum aims to establish new business relations between tour operators in the three countries to build a common platform for the promotion of Balkan tourism and economic development.

The interest of Greece for Bulgaria is great. Not just because Bulgaria is expecting to absorb 12 billion euros investment granted by the European Union programs, but also because it offers a young growing market, which operates according to the principles of the free market. Panayotis Kutsikous stressed on the fact that Bulgaria is a stable country that has all the conditions and prerequisites for carrying out successful business activity. He gave the example of his private business, which he successfully develops in the last 16 years. He stressed on the beneficial practices in the political life of the country, with the number of civil servants who are 145 thousand in Bulgaria, and more than one million in Greece. Bulgaria is a modern country in which there are 2000 Greek businesses. There is a high quality tourist facilities in the country and all prerequisites to be develop further in future. On the other side about 815,000 Greeks have visited Bulgaria, half of whom were tourists, and the other half wer Greeks who have business interests in the country.

Regarding the visit of Turkish tourists in Greece, Panayotis Kutskos said that in 2009 only 109,000 tourists have visited the western neighbor. Appart from some political issues that affect both countries, another major problem is the visa regime for Turkish citizens. This stops the flow of tourists to the Greek islands and resorts and deprives Greece of additional revenue. Kutsikous stressed that a neighboring country like Turkey with a population exceeding 80 million people gives much greater opportunities for development of tourist exchange than this today, but thisrequires also political will.

Medical tourism is a new service that is dedicated to seeking medical services at a higher level, but at more affordable prices. About this spoke the former Deputy Minister of Healthcare and president of the company for additional health insurance, "Nadejda" AD Valeri Tsekov. Health service can provide both balneotherapy sanatorium for people in good health as well as for the demand of real medical services as surgery, medical examinations and more. Public health insurance systems already show their inefficiency, services become more expensive and increasingly unavailable. This allows the rapid development of this new service, the revenue from which today form only 2.5% of the total tourist turnover, but in the next five years that percentage is expected to double. He gave an example that contracts already exist at government level such as the one between U.S. and India, United Arab Emirates with Cuba and so on. Valery Tsekov stressed on the fact that today in Europe there almost no health fund which doesn’t have severe deficit. This provides a new market hole or in other words market opportunity for new profits. The structure and personnel are available in Bulgaria and other Balkan countries. What should be done is to create in practice the products and packages that will be offered on the tourist market, and then will start also their promotion. According to former Deputy Minister of Healthcare advertising has a very big spot in the success of this initiative, which could bring additional revenue to the Balkan countries. In Bulgaria since 2004 the first steps are being made through the establishment of administrative regulatory framework within which to develop medical tourism.

The representative of the Hellenic Tourism Organization Alexis Hadzhidakis explained during the forum to the main positions of the new government in the field of tourism. He presented the new trends and priorities of the Greek government, which wants to strengthen the interest in the environmental friendly tourism and increase the competitiveness. The different type of tourism - recreation, medical, natural line, religious, etc. are in the basis of the programs for economic growth of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in Greece. The public and private sector should start to cooperate to a greater extent in order to regain the competitiveness of Greek tourism.

Alexis Hadzhidakis said that 70 million euros will be allocated by the Ministry of Finance through programs for economic development for 2010. The new programs account for the alternative and ecological tourism for 250 million euros. This is a new type of tourism for Greece, which will attract new interest in the country as well as new investments.