“Erlebe Bulgarien” 2025 – This year’s Largest German Tourism Forum Outside Germany Came to Varna

Top-level tourism and aviation leaders and institutions gather to shape Bulgaria’s future as an attractive travel destination

The flagship conference of the international forum “Erlebe Bulgarien / Experience Bulgaria” 2025 took place today at the GRIFID Noa Hotel in the Golden Sands resort, bringing together more than 200 top-tier tourism professionals from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. With powerful discussions, strategic networking, and institutional support at the highest level, the forum solidified Bulgaria’s position as a trusted and attractive destination for the German-speaking market.

Organized by Fraport Twin Star Airport Management AD – the operator of Burgas and Varna airports – and realized with the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria as a leading and strategic partner, the event was held in collaboration with Varna Municipality, the Association of Incoming Agencies in Bulgaria, Grifid Hotels, and leading German travel media outlet fvw|TravelTalk, the event was the largest German tourism initiative outside Germany in 2025. The event is supported by Electra Airways as official airline partner, in collaboration with SunExpress, and will receive broad coverage across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland through the channels of fvw|TravelTalk.

The full-day conference featured panels such as “Let's Discover Bulgaria: A personalized Roundtrip through our Destination”, “The Global Travel Market – Opportunities and Challenges”, and “What German Holidaymakers Really Want”, along with in-depth insights from aviation, hospitality, and tour operator representatives. Another focus was placed on flight connectivity, service quality, and cross-sector partnerships in tourism. The top management of both German tour operators and airlines addressed their expectations to further substantially grow the number of tourists travelling to Bulgaria.

Among the high-ranking officials who joined the conference were: Miroslav Borshosh, Minister of Tourism of Bulgaria, Blagomir Kotsev, Mayor of Varna, H.E. Irene Maria Plank, Ambassador of Germany to Bulgaria, H.E. Grigor Porozhanov, Ambassador of Bulgaria to Germany, Dr. Desislav Taskov, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism, and Anelia Marinova, Director General of the Directorate General Civil Aviation Administration.

“Being able to attract the highest level of German Managers – both from tour operators and from airlines – is a big success and confirms the positive trend we created for Bulgaria as a tourist destination. This format has to be continued for Germany and should also be organized for Poland, the UK, Israel, and other important source markets. Thank you to the Ministry of Tourism and all our partners for their support!”, said Dr. Frank Quante, CEO of Fraport Twin Star Airport Management AD.

“Given the high profile of the participants and speakers, the event is evolving into one of the most prestigious and sought-after gatherings related to the German source market. It is a true privilege for any tourist destination to host experts of such distinguished caliber.”, emphasized Ivan Groshev, Chairman of the Association of Incoming Agencies in Bulgaria.

“The number of German visitors is growing rapidly this year. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of work to be done – from flight connections and extending the season to marketing – to ensure that the Black Sea remains a successful destination. The ‘Experience Bulgaria’ event brings together all the key players to develop strategies for the future.”, shared Klaus Hildebrandt, Editor-in-Chief of fvw|TravelTalk, the most important German B2B tourist sector agency.

The conference concluded with a networking lunch and a gala dinner, where Bulgarian hospitality and culture met the professionalism of the German-speaking travel industry.

The forum continues until 15 June 2025 with an engaging side program, including site inspections of hotels, destination tours, and B2B meetings, offering international guests the chance to discover the full potential of the Northern Black Sea coast.

With momentum building from its successful first edition in 2024, “Erlebe Bulgarien” 2025 has once again proven that strong partnerships and shared vision can elevate Bulgaria’s tourism appeal on the international stage.