Vietnam – Bulgaria Tourism Forum 2026: Enhancing connectivity, responding to global mobility trends
WVR - Recently, the Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria, in collaboration with the Vietnam Culture and Tourism Association in Europe (VNCT), organized the Vietnam – Bulgaria Tourism Forum 2026 in a hybrid format. The event marks a significant step forward in efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation in tourism between the two countries.
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The forum gathered over 80 delegates from Vietnam and Bulgaria, with more than 40 attending in person at the Embassy and over 40 participating online, including representatives from government agencies, tourism associations, educational institutions, travel businesses, airlines, and related organizations.
This is also the first time a specialized tourism forum between the two countries has been organized in a hybrid model, facilitating multidimensional exchanges and effective connectivity.
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| Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet speaking at the Vietnam – Bulgaria Tourism Forum 2026. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria) |
Speaking at the Forum, Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet emphasized the significance of the Forum in the context of Vietnam – Bulgaria relations being upgraded to a Strategic Partnership (10/2025), while both countries are implementing the Tourism Cooperation Program for the period 2024–2026. The Ambassador affirmed that tourism not only plays a crucial role as an economic sector but also serves as a bridge to enhance understanding and cultural exchange between the two nations.
Sharing an overview of Vietnam's tourism in 2025, the Ambassador stated that Vietnam welcomed approximately 21.5 million international visitors, thanks to increasingly open visa policies, including visa exemptions for Bulgarian citizens.
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| Forum overview. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria) |
Additionally, Vietnam is actively diversifying its products, promoting green tourism development, and accelerating digital transformation in the industry. Based on the assessment that Bulgaria is both a potential market and an attractive destination for Vietnamese tourists, the Ambassador proposed several key cooperation directions, including enhancing promotion, boosting air connectivity, and strengthening cooperation in tourism human resources development.
Representative of the Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism, Ms. Savina Nedyalkova, Director of the International Cooperation and Visa Affairs Department, noted that the two-way tourist flow has been growing positively in recent years. Bulgaria increasingly attracts Vietnamese tourists due to its diverse landscapes, rich heritage, and strengths in leisure tourism, especially spa and wellness. Meanwhile, the demand from Bulgarian tourists for distant destinations like Vietnam is also rising, particularly during the winter season.
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| Representative from the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Quang Tri Province shares the province's tourism potential online at the Forum. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria) |
During more than 150 minutes of discussions, the Forum focused on practical topics, including market overview, product development trends, and cooperation opportunities. Delegates highlighted the trend of Eastern European tourists shifting towards Southeast Asia amid global fluctuations, with Vietnam emerging as an attractive destination due to reasonable costs, abundant tourism resources, and unique cultural experiences.
The in-depth discussion session was a key highlight of the Forum, featuring participation from experts, managers, and businesses from both countries. Discussions centered on three main topics: market trends and product development; air connectivity; and B2B solutions for tourism human resources development.
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| Mr. Dinh Ngoc Duc - Director of the Vietnam Cultural Center in France speaking online. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria) |
On the first topic, Professor Elenita Velikova from the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) and Ms. Nguyen Thi Van Anh (Flamingo Group) noted that amid global fluctuations, especially instability in the Middle East, the travel trend of Eastern European tourists is shifting significantly towards Southeast Asia.
Vietnam, with its natural landscapes, cultural heritage, and reasonable costs, is considered a potential destination. However, to effectively attract Bulgarian tourists to Vietnam, it is essential to "emotionalize" tourism products, combining cultural experiences with high-quality services.
Regarding air connectivity, Chairman of the Bulgarian Aviation Association Todor Ivanjivkov pointed out that the lack of direct flights is one of the biggest barriers. Currently, tourists must transit through hubs like Doha, Dubai, or Istanbul, increasing time and costs.
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| Delegates explore Vietnamese cuisine after the Forum. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria) |
However, the opportunity to open seasonal charter flights, especially in winter, is considered feasible with close coordination between airlines and travel businesses from both countries. Mr. Le Bao An from Flyone Aviation suggested that even without direct flights, both sides should further leverage existing transit routes through Qatar and Turkey to attract more tourists to each other.
In the field of human resources, Dr. Trinh Thi Thu Ha, Principal of Hanoi College of Commerce and Tourism, stated that the school is enhancing foreign language training, service skills, and cultural understanding to meet the increasing demands of international guests, while expanding international cooperation in training and internships.
Vice President of the Bulgarian Spa Tourism Association Jivko Ivanov shared that he has directly witnessed the quality of human resource training in Vietnam's tourism sector; he hopes both sides can cooperate immediately in sending interns to Bulgaria's tourism facilities for practical experience, especially in the high-end restaurant and hotel segment.
This is seen as a practical direction to improve service quality and meet the growing demands of international tourists.
A highlight of the Forum was the online business-to-business (B2B) session, allowing businesses from both countries to directly exchange, introduce products, and seek cooperation opportunities. In a short time, businesses actively exchanged information, opening up many specific cooperation opportunities for the future.
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| Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet with delegates enjoying Vietnamese pho after the Forum. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria) |
Notably, within the framework of the Forum, the Vietnam Culture and Tourism Association in Europe (VNCT) and the Bulgarian Spa Tourism Association (BUBSPA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This agreement aims to enhance information exchange between businesses, tourism associations, and airlines of the two countries; share product development experiences; and coordinate the organization of familiarization trips (FAM trips) to promote destinations.
After the program, delegates attending in person experienced Vietnamese cuisine, with a highlight on pho (rice noodle soup) – a culinary symbol. This activity contributes to promoting the image of Vietnam and its people in a lively and approachable manner.
The Vietnam – Bulgaria Tourism Forum 2026 follows the success of the Vietnam booth at the Holiday Expo tourism exhibition held in Sofia in December 2025, contributing to enhancing Vietnam's tourism image in the Bulgarian market, laying the foundation for more extensive cooperation activities.
The Forum serves as an important bridge to help management agencies, businesses, and organizations from both countries better understand the potential, needs, and cooperation directions in the tourism sector.
With the results achieved and commitments from both sides, tourism cooperation between the two countries is expected to continue to grow strongly, making a positive contribution to the Vietnam – Bulgaria Strategic Partnership in the coming time.
(Source: Embassy of Vietnam in Bulgaria)
