SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TOURISM BULGARIA - DREAM AREA
9 - 11 January 2003, Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan
QUALITY - KEYWORD IN 2003
| January 8, 2003 | |
| 13:00 - 18:00 | Registration, Sofia Sheraton Hotel Balkan, Banquet Lobby |
| January 9, 2003 | |
| 8:00 - 9:00 | Registration, Sofia Sheraton Hotel Balkan, Banquet Lobby |
| 9:00 - 9:30 |
Official Opening, Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan, Sredetz Ballroom Welcoming address by Mr. Simeon Saxe-Coburg, Prime Minister, Republic of Bulgaria Mr. Nikolay Vassilev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Mr. Bob Miller, Former Governor of Nevada State, USA, Conference Co-Organizer Mr. Maxim Behar, Chief Executive, M3 Communications Group, Inc., Conference Co-Organizer |
| 9:30 - 10:10 | Panel Session 1: Quality of the tourism in Bulgaria. Governmental programs for improvement and development of the tourist services Mr. Dimitar Hadzhinikolov, Deputy Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Program Committee of the conference |
| 10:10 - 10:25 | Coffee Break |
| 10:25 - 12:00 | Panel Session 2: Southeast Europe - attractive and now more competitive tourist destination Mrs. Güldal Akşit, Minister of Tourism, Turkey Mr. A. Zohadzopoulus, Minister of Development, Greece Mr. Zdenko Micic, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Croatia Mr. Igor Paravishnikov, Deputy Chairman of the State Tourism Administration, Ukraine Mr. Nicku Radulesku, Secretary of State of Tourism, Romania Mrs. Iskra Yotzova, Director, International Tourism Policy, Ministry of Economy |
| 12:00 - 13:10 | Panel Session 3: Year 2003 - will tourism pick up again? Mr. Luigi Cabrini, Regional Representative for Europe, WTO /World Tourism Organization/ Mr. Jaime-Axel Ruiz Baudrihaye, Excecutive Director of European Travel Commission Mr. Gerd Hesselmann, Chairman, Hesselmann & Associate, Former President of the German Travel Agency and Tour Operator Association Mrs. Gill Wilson, Chief Executive, Central European Countries Travel Association |
| 13:10 - 14:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 - 15:15 | Panel Session 4: 2003 - time for Bulgarian tourism to provide high quality services Mrs. Lyudmila Nenkova, Riviera Holiday Club, Varna Mrs. Donka Sokolova, President, Bulgarian Association of Tourist Agencies Mrs. Evgenia Gencheva, Managing Director, Russalka Holidays Tourism Holding Mrs. Nedialka Sandalska, Executive Director, Balkantourist Holding |
| 15:15 - 16:30 | Panel Session 5: Quality of transportation and travel services Mr. Dieter Grosse, GM, Lufthansa Mr. Daniel Burkard, Regional Commercial Manager, Eastern Europe, British Airways Mr. Emil Delibashev, Country Commercial Manager British Airways Bulgaria |
| Information technology vehicles: Bulgaria's global ticket Mr. Lambros Deemou, Senior Consultant, Sales and Marketing, Travel and Tourism Systems, Intracom S.A. | |
| 16:30 - 16:45 | Coffee Break |
| 16:45 - 18:30 | Panel Session 6: Quality of the hotels and restaurants services in a challenging environment. |
| 16:45 - 18:88 | To be a five-star in Bulgaria Mr. Armin Zerunyan, GM, Hilton Sofia Mr. Manos Iatrou, GM, Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan Mr. John Grieg, GM, Radisson SAS Grand Hotel. |
| 18:00 - 18:30 | The hospitality industry in Bulgaria - turn your family house into a small and profitable hotel Mrs. Svetlana Beleva, Villa Oraka, Stoikite, Southeast Rodopi Mr. Vladimir Petrov, Old Bistrilitza House, Stara Planina |
| 18:30 | End of Day 1 - Closing remarks |
| 19:30 | Cocktail Reception, Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan, Serdica Ball Room |
| January 10, 2003 | |
| 09:00 - 9:30 | Panel session 7: Tourism Animation or how to make the guest a partner emotionally linked to the values, the experience and the feelings staged by the City. Ass. Prof. Dr. Maria Vodenska, Chair of Tourism, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" Mr. Nikolay Mindov, Chairman, Bulgarian Guides Association |
| 09:30 - 10:10 | Panel Session 8: Quality of education and training. Maximizing staff performance. Mr. Todor Radev, Rector, International College - Albena Mrs. Diana Ivanova, Director of Hotels and Restaurants Technical School, Gabrovo |
| 10:10 - 10:30 | Coffee Break |
| 10:30 - 13:00 | Panel Session 9: Tourism = environment + economics + culture |
| 10:30 - 11:10 | Responsible Business - obligatory for a high quality service Mrs. Dolores Arsenova, Minister of Environment Mr. John Grieg, GM, Radisson SAS Grand Hotel. |
| 11:10- 11:45 | Be flexible and approach market aggressively Ass. Prof. Dr. Hristo Kaftandzhiev, Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communications, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" Mrs. Annabele Grajeles, Executive Vice President, City Tours, New York City, USA |
| 11:45 - 12:30 | Capturing the heart and mind of the UK market Mr. James Knight, Director of Business Development, Senior King Communications Group, UK Mr. Pavel Yazakiev, Chairman Foreign Investment Agency, Bulgaria |
| 12:30 - 13:00 |
Mr. Assoc. Ivan Jelev, Dean of Theological Faculty, Sofia University "St. Kl. Ohridski" |
| 13:00 - 14:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 - 15:00 | Panel Session 10: Tourists in Bulgaria - ways to guarantee their safety and security in 2003 Gen. Boyko Borisov, Chief Secretary, Ministry of Internal Affairs Mrs. Fani Gencheva, Representative by power of attorney, General Insurance, DZI Mr. Pencho Babukchiev, Mountain Rescue Service in Bulgaria |
| 15:00 - 16:20 | Panel Session 11: Alternative and ecotourism |
| 15:00 - 15:20 | Developing a local cultural strategy in an international tourism destination. Mr. Patrick Sciarratta, Executive Director, Friendship Ambassadors Foundation |
| 15:20 -15:50 | Bozhentzi and Leshten. Small towns; successful stories. Mr. Nikofor Dardanov, GM, Dzhelepova Kashta, Bozhentsi Mr. Nickola Marinov, GM, Ethnographical Complex Leshten |
| 15:50 - 16:05 | USAID's activities in the area of ecotourism at Bulgaria Mrs. Kamelia Georgieva, Ecotourism Program Coordinator of BCEG Project / USAID |
| 16:05 - 16:45 | How can ecotourism become an effective tool for conservation and sustainable development. Mr. Dimitar Marinov, Chief Secretary, Association of Ecotourism in Kalofer Mr. Luybomir Popyordanov, Chairman, Association for Alternative Tourism |
| 16:45 - 17:00 | Coffee Break |
| 17:35 - 18:30 | Panel Session 12: Olympic Games, Athens 2004 |
| 17:00 - 17:20 | Bulgarian sport facilities - ready or not to offer good conditions and high quality services to sportsmen Mr. Vasil Ivanov, Minister of Youth and Sports |
| 17:20 - 17:35 | Athens 2004 - a way to promote the cultural and natural heritage of the region Mr. Ivan Slavkov, Chairmain, Bulgarian Olympic Committee Mrs. Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, President of the Board. Organizing Committee, Athens 2004 |
| 17:35 - 18:30 | How to use the Olympic Games to attract more tourists to Bulgaria - a parallel with the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA and the state of Nevada Mr. Thomas Tait, Former Minister of Tourism, Nevada State (1989 - 2001), Vice President of Lake Las Vegas Resort, USA, Conference Co-organizer Mr. Tim Williams, President of Advertising, R&R Partners, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 18:30 - 19:00 | End of day 2 Official Closing Guest of honor Mr. Georgy Parvanov, President of the Republic of Bulgaria Mr. Thomas Tait, Former Minister of Tourism, Nevada State (1989 - 2001), Vice President of Lake Las Vegas Resort, USA, Conference Co-organizer |
| 20:00 | Official Gala Dinner Guest Speaker |
