Bulgarian Tourism Sector Outraged by Deputy Minister Axing

Bulgarian tourism branch is threatening to stage a mass nationwide rally if Ivo Marinov, Deputy Economy Minister in Charge of Tourism is not reinstated at the post.

The information was reported Friday by the Chairman of the Council on Tourism in Sofia, Vitan Ivanov.

It emerged Thursday that newly appointed caretaker Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, Asen Vasilev, has demanded Marinov's resignation.

Marinov told reporters that Vasilev deemed his post unnecessary.

"There is no way to not have a minister in charge of a sector that gives the State BGN 3 B a year or 12.5% from the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, and jobs to over 350 000 people," Ivanov says.

The Tourism Act was passed by the now-dissolved Parliament Tuesday, but the MPs did not discuss any concrete texts. The Act would also include 14 decrees, whose details are yet to be ironed out.

Ivanov explained the sector needed a person who had worked on the draft Bill.

The tourism associations also ask for the tourism administration to be moved back to the capital Sofia from the second largest city of Plovdiv, where it is currently located under the plan of former Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov.

"The Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism has common documentation, accounting books and human resources, and the Plovdiv location drags everything," Ivanov noted.

Also on Thursday, caretaker Minister Vasilev declared there would not be any structural changes in his Ministry, stressing he had never said he would not have a deputy in charge of tourism.

The Ministry further announced that Bulgaria will be represented at the international tourism expo INTOURMARKET in Moscow by Maria Ivanova, Head of the "Tourism Policies" Directorate.

Earlier Friday, caretaker PM, Marin Raykov, stated replacing entire teams at various Ministries would be counterproductive, adding only those who wish to resign or for whom there is evidence of poor job performance would be let go.

Marinov was a staunch supporter of building a second ski lift in the top winter resort of Bansko, something Bulgarian eco activists fervently oppose.

On February 21, Bulgaria's Parliament approved the resignation of PM Boyko Borisov's government amidst unprecedented since 1997 protest rallies against sky-high utility bills, monopolies, stagnation, corruption and wide-spread poverty, which later turned into a civil unrest and political demands.

Snap general election is to be held May 12, just two months ahead of the regular date in July.

President, Rosen Plevneliev, named the caretaker government on March 12.