{"id":7018,"date":"2017-11-16T18:08:44","date_gmt":"2017-11-16T16:08:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/?p=7018"},"modified":"2019-01-29T22:49:58","modified_gmt":"2019-01-29T20:49:58","slug":"is-sofia-tourist-friendly-travel-massive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/is-sofia-tourist-friendly-travel-massive\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Sofia tourist-friendly? \u2013 An overview of the second Travel Massive Sofia event"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\">Despite the many challenges Sofia has as a travel destination, tourists who visit the Bulgarian capital are <strong>pleasantly surprised and impressed by the diversity and opportunities that the city has to offer.<\/strong> That was the general opinion of travel industry professionals who took part of the Travel Massive event<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/travelmassive.com\/events\/2017\/11\/travel-massive-talks-sofia-tourist-friendly\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cIs Sofia tourist-friendly\u201d<\/a><span style=\"color: #333333;\"> that was held in Bar \u041f\u0415\u0422\u042a\u041a on November 15th in Sofia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\">More than<strong> 50 Bulgarian professionals<\/strong> who work in the tourism field in the country attended the networking event. The participants of the panel discussion about the friendliness of Sofia as a tourist destination were:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Christine Milner,<\/strong> organizer of<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/restaurantweek.bg\/bg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sofia Restaurant Week<\/a>;<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Stefan Ognianov<\/strong>, president of the executive board of<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.365association.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">365 Association<\/a> <span style=\"color: #333333;\">(Free Sofia Tour, Free Plovdiv Tour, etc.);<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Georgi Zahariev<\/strong>, owner of<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GreenSofiaApartments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">short-term rental apartments<\/a> <span style=\"color: #333333;\">in Sofia;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Maria Stoyanova<\/strong> (moderator &amp; organizer) &#8211; a Bulgarian travel blogger at <a href=\"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/about-me\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Travelling Buzz<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\">All of the participants shared their opinion and experience in working with tourists which gave us a good <strong>insight about the tourist image of Sofia.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/travel-massive-2.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-7021\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/travel-massive-2.jpg?resize=960%2C720&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"travel massive sofia\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/travel-massive-2.jpg?w=960&amp;ssl=1 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/travel-massive-2.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/travel-massive-2.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/travel-massive-2.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>The tourism problems in Sofia<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\">Generally speaking, most of the attendees at the Travel Massive event shared the opinion that <strong>Sofia is not considered yet as friendly enough tourist destination.<\/strong> The main tourism problems that were outlined during the discussion were: the <strong>inconvenient public transportation system<\/strong> in the capital; the <strong>poor accessibility of Vitosha mountain<\/strong> \u2013 the green treasure of Sofia that can become a great advantage for the city; the <strong>poor biking conditions<\/strong> in the city; <strong>Vitosha boulevard<\/strong> not being the best representative spot in Sofia; and <strong>the service<\/strong> not being the best one that we can offer to our guests.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>What makes Sofia attractive<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\">Despite the problems, Sofia has <strong>a great potential to grow as a preferred travel destination<\/strong> and to offer a quality product. A shared opinion was that one of the greatest impressions tourists have when they first visit the city is definitely the food. <strong>The culinary image of Sofia<\/strong> is rising also thanks to events like Sofia Restaurant Week \u2013 a week-long festival promoting the diverse culinary scene in the Bulgarian capital.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>People of Sofia<\/strong> also make a great impression to Sofia\u2019s visitors. <em>\u201cTourists are surprised how many young people live here and most of them speak English which is of great value for the city\u201d<\/em>, said Chrisitne Milner who have lived in Sofia for 25 years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\">With his experience with Free Sofia Tour \u2013 the top recommended tour of Sofia in Trip Advisor, Stefan Ognianov said that many people also<strong> find the city livable.<\/strong> Tourists come without any expectations and are impressed by the way of life in the capital.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>The\u00a0 main drivers for tourism in Sofia<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\">The participants also discussed which are <strong>the main drivers of tourism in Sofia<\/strong> and what makes the capital attractive in the last few years. First, that is definitely the rise of international <strong>low-cost flights<\/strong> from and to Sofia that gives the city easy access to many European and world destinations. But that is not the only reason. The <strong>word of mouth<\/strong> of travelers who\u2019ve already been in Sofia is also a very strong attraction factor for new tourists.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\">Also, Sofia has a <strong>\u201cnovelty value\u201d<\/strong> that should not be underestimated. Tourists are curious and interested to see how a Balkan capital with thousands of years long history has developed over the years. <strong>Being part of the EU<\/strong> is also a huge advantage for the friendliness of Sofia.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>How can Sofia be a better travel destination<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\">The challenge for the industry professionals now is <strong>how to convince people to come back to Sofia.<\/strong> Moreover, tourism business owners should focus on <strong>increasing the quality of the service.<\/strong> There should also be <strong>more experiences and activities available for tourists.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\">Another idea that was shared during the discussion was to have <strong>more events and festivals<\/strong> in Sofia which are becoming a big attraction and image-shaping factor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333333;\">Get updates for future events,<strong> join the Travel Massive Sofia community<\/strong> and connect with other industry professionals here:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/travelmassive.com\/chapters\/sofia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/travelmassive.com\/chapters\/sofia<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Mentioned projects and useful links<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Christine Milner<\/strong> &#8211; Sofia Restaurant Week,<\/span>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/restaurantweek.bg\/bg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/restaurantweek.bg\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Stefan Ognianov<\/strong> &#8211; 365 Association<\/span>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.365association.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.365association.org\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Georgi Zahariev<\/strong> &#8211; Sofia Green Apartments<\/span>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GreenSofiaApartments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GreenSofiaApartments\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Maria Stoyanova<\/strong> (moderator) \u2013 Travelling Buzz<\/span>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.travellingbuzz.com\">www.travellingbuzz.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Travel Massive Sofia Facebook group<\/strong> &#8211;<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/102593120315482\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/102593120315482\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Association of tourism real estate and innovations <\/strong>(\u0410\u0441\u043e\u0446\u0438\u0430\u0446\u0438\u044f \u0437\u0430 \u0442\u0443\u0440\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438 \u0438\u043c\u043e\u0442\u0438 \u0438 \u0438\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0446\u0438\u0438)<strong> &#8211; <\/strong><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.atii.bg\">www.atii.bg<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Shape Style Studio<\/strong> &#8211; photography and videography \u2013<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/shapestyle.eu\/home-bg.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/shapestyle.eu\/home-bg.html<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>\u201cSofia in figures, 2016\u201d<\/strong> (Report about the tourism industry in Sofia, available in Bulgarian)<\/span> &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitsofia.bg\/images\/pdf\/tourism-in-figure-2016-bg.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.visitsofia.bg\/images\/pdf\/tourism-in-figure-2016-bg.pdf<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Project \u201cVision for Sofia\u201d<\/strong> &#8211;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vizia.sofia.bg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0https:\/\/vizia.sofia.bg\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #333333;\">Interesting upcoming event &#8211; Discussion <strong>\u201eIs the city of Sofia ready to receive the increasing tourist and business flow?\u201d<\/strong> as part of Sky Forum 2017 &#8211;<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/skyawards.eu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/skyawards.eu<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Do you want to host the next event in Sofia?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color: #333333;\">If you own a place, or you know a guy who knows a guy who owns an event space, you want to host the next meeting, get in touch at <a href=\"mailto:travellingbuzzblog@gmail.com\">travellingbuzzblog@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Any ideas for next topics, events or projects?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color: #333333;\">If you have any ideas for the next topics, any feedback, any interesting projects you want to share, get in touch on the mentioned email above.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>Many thanks to the Travel Massive Sofia team and partners! <\/strong>Connect with Travelling Buzz on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/travellingbuzz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!-- Begin MailChimp Signup Form -->\n<link href=\"\/\/cdn-images.mailchimp.com\/embedcode\/classic-10_7.css\" rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text\/css\">\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; 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left: -5000px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"b_6b67ff67a46a0b9c474f6b749_12bcb8261c\" tabindex=\"-1\" value=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"clear\" style=\"text-align:center;\"><input type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" name=\"subscribe\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\" class=\"button\"><\/div><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<p><script type='text\/javascript' src='\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/downloads.mailchimp.com\/js\/mc-validate.js'><\/script><script type='text\/javascript'>(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='MMERGE2';ftypes[2]='text';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);<\/script><br \/>\n<!--End mc_embed_signup--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite the many challenges Sofia has as a travel destination, tourists who visit the Bulgarian capital are pleasantly surprised and impressed by the diversity and opportunities that the city has to offer. That was the general opinion of travel industry professionals who took part of the Travel Massive event \u201cIs Sofia tourist-friendly\u201d that was held in Bar \u041f\u0415\u0422\u042a\u041a on November 15th in Sofia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4881,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[309,1,775],"tags":[557,59,670],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/12829370_1082383618480100_3660674597014876485_o.jpg?fit=1280%2C1280&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7018"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7018"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7018\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7030,"href":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7018\/revisions\/7030"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}