Hoteliers complain that they will be without staff due to delays in visas for workers from third countries. The Deputy Chairman of the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association Veselin Nalbantov told Bulgaria ON AIR that the state neglects tourism as an industry.
"I am outraged. Consular offices in Delhi say they don't even have computers. There is no administrative capacity in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We are ready to help the Foreign Ministry with personnel, to send people from the industry", he commented in Bulgaria ON AIR.
Veselin Nalbantov warned that there are no workers in Bulgaria and gave the following example: In 1990, 12-13 thousand people served the KK "Sunny Beach". Currently, it has expanded over 200 times and needs to be served by 200 thousand workers, but there is nowhere for them to come from.
"There are no people. In addition to everything else, they are also obtuse, they do not lend themselves to training. There should be trained and educated people with personal hygiene. This year we will push it somehow, but the Ministry of Tourism must have a strategy. There must be sustainability and there must be one minister for 5-10 years. If we lose this niche with tourism, what is left in Bulgaria - nothing! Now we are waiting and teaching illiterate people", insisted Nalbantov.
The interlocutor is adamant that we can no longer work piecemeal and tourism must be a priority sector.
"We cannot use the young people here because they are starting to study for the fall to be students. They cannot study until June 15-20. Our work is for intelligent and young people, it's not hard", said Nalbantov and added that the prices are the same as last year, but there are no tourists.
"Sunny Beach is bubbling with geothermal water. We have to break this water and become the biggest spa center in the Balkans. There is life in tourism, but we all need to mobilize", concluded the deputy chairman of the BHRA.