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A promotional event titled “GoTürkiye Destination” was held in Sofia with the aim of strengthening tourism cooperation between Türkiye and Bulgaria, highlighting the depth of travel ties between the two neighboring countries and their shared interest in expanding sustainable tourism flows.
The event was organized under the auspices of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and in cooperation with the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), a public body responsible for promoting Türkiye as a global travel destination. It took place at a hotel venue in the Bulgarian capital, bringing together tourism professionals from both countries.
Before the official program began, travel agencies and hotel operators from Türkiye met with their Bulgarian counterparts, setting the stage for direct business-to-business exchanges and new partnerships designed to build up cross-border tourism.
Opening the program, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Sofia, Mehmet Sait Uyanik, underlined that tourism makes up an important dimension of the long-established relationship between Türkiye and Bulgaria, which he described as friendly, neighboring, and allied countries.
He pointed out that Bulgaria stands out as a special destination thanks to its cultural heritage and natural attractions, while Türkiye ranks among the world’s leading tourism countries due to its diverse visitor profile, wide-ranging tourism products, and strong international brand value. Within this context, he noted that Bulgaria remains one of the top source markets sending visitors to Türkiye.
Uyanik recalled that Bulgarian citizens have been able to travel to Türkiye using only national identity cards since 2022, a policy that has helped ease mobility and build up mutual tourism flows. He said that in the January–November period of 2025, around 2.3 million people traveled from Türkiye to Bulgaria, while approximately 2.6 million Bulgarian visitors went to Türkiye during the same timeframe.
According to the ambassador, these figures clearly show the strong potential of tourism between the two countries, while also pointing to a shared goal of shaping this potential into a more balanced, diversified, and sustainable structure.
The program continued with a presentation by TGA Country Marketing Director Zeynep Ucok Celikdag, who laid out Türkiye’s tourism potential for Bulgarian industry representatives.
The event wrapped up with a reception, giving participants further opportunities to follow up on contacts and explore future cooperation.
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