Bulgarian Tourism Association

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Monument to Aleko Konstantinov on the Cherni Vrach

The Bulgarian Tourism Association (Bulgarian Български туристически съюз; Balgarski Turistitscheski Sajus, Bulgarian Abbreviation: БТС; German: BTS) was founded on 27.-29. Established August 1895. It is an independent, voluntary, non-partisan, non-governmental tourism association.

The Bulgarian Tourism Association is not a tourism association or tourism association in the German sense of the word, which is dedicated to promoting tourism and the tourism industry. His goals would be characterized much more precisely with a freer translation: "Bulgarian hiking association " or "association for the promotion of mountain and hiking tourism".

The promotion of tourism in the traditional sense (tourism; international tourism) is carried out by the Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism and the company Balkanturist (Bulgarian Балкантурист), while the Bulgarian Tourism Association aims almost exclusively at Bulgarian tourists, with a focus on mountain hiking and alpinism and not superficial ones pursues economic interests, but has committed itself to promoting public health and promoting the "beautiful Bulgarian homeland".

The long-standing initiative of the Bulgarian Tourism Association 100 National Tourist Objects of Bulgaria aims exclusively at the Bulgarian population in order to bring them closer to the Bulgarian mountains and cultural objects of national importance (museums, monasteries, natural monuments etc.) in their homeland and to strengthen their patriotism. The spartan mountain huts, which are mostly managed by local groups of the Bulgarian Tourism Association, are not aimed at an international tourist clientele, but are cheap and affordable for everyone.

history

Plaque with the portrait of Aleko Konstantin at the Aleko mountain hut
The Bulgarian Tourist Board (BTS) flag in the Aleko mountain hut

The foundation took place near Sofia , on the highest mountain of the Vitosha Mountains , on the Cherni Vrach (Bulgarian Черни връх; 2290 m), on the initiative and under the direction and patronage of the well-known Bulgarian writer, lawyer and democrat Aleko Konstantinov ( bulg. Алеко Константинов) instead. The establishment of the "Bulgarian Tourist Club" was announced on August 23, 1895 in the "Znamia" newspaper. 300 people of all social classes and age groups responded to the call for founding.

After the assassination of Aleko Konstantinov (1920), the club's activities fell silent. It revived on August 23, 1899 under the name of "First Bulgarian Tourist Association". At the beginning of the 20th century, local groups sprang up all over Bulgaria. Hiking trails were marked, mountain huts built, the first mountain rescue groups created and tourist choirs organized.

The youth association "Association of Young Tourists" was also founded. At the beginning of 1945 the "Association of Young Tourists" and the "Bulgarian Tourist Association" merged to form the "People's Association of Tourists". The first hiking holidays were organized from 1944 to 1956 and the central alpinist school Maljowiza was founded. In 1953, the Kom-Emine national tourist hike was held for the first time . The mountain hiking trail Kom-Emine mountain hiking trail is now part of the * European long-distance hiking trail E8 . In 1954 the Bulgarian Tourism Association organized the first orienteering competition and the first water hike (rowing) on ​​the Danube .

In 1956, the Tourism and Mountaineering Sections were spun off from the Sports Committee and reunited with the Bulgarian Tourism Association. In 1966, the Bulgarian Tourism Association was the initiator and organizer of the 100 National Tourist Objects Movement . The Bulgarian state also strongly supported tourism in Bulgaria until 1989.

After the fall of the Wall (November 10, 1989), the state stopped all financial aid for tourism. During this period of economic decline, membership decreased and the mountain huts fell into disrepair and were looted. There was no longer any tourism offspring among the younger generation. It was not until the beginning of the 21st century that the tourism movement in Bulgaria experienced an upturn. The Hundred National Tourist Objects Movement was revived.

The official holiday of the Bulgarian Tourism Association is celebrated on the last Sunday in August. The association's official printed matter is the "Echo" newspaper and the "Balgarski turist" magazine. The information center of the Bulgarian Tourist Board is in 1040 Sofia, 75 Boulevard "Wasil Levski".

BTS logo (Bulgarian БТС)

The logo of the Bulgarian Tourism Association is a stylized edelweiss flower . This flower is very rare in Bulgaria, only in the Pirin Mountains and in the Balkan Mountains . The Bulgarian name of the flower is borrowed from the German: "Еделвайс" ( ˈɛˑdəlvaɪ̯s ).

Members

Natural persons or Bulgarian legal persons can become members of the Bulgarian Tourism Association . The aim of the tourism association is to promote various forms of tourism, recreation, love of nature and environmental protection. The association promotes certain sports related to tourism, such as alpinism , orienteering and speleology .

Tourist facilities

The Tourist Board has 410 establishments in Bulgaria. These objects are broken down as follows:

  • 219 mountain huts in Bulgaria with a total of 13,062 beds.
  • 26 small refuges with a total of 283 beds.
  • 33 rest homes with a total of 2394 beds.
  • 33 tourist dormitories with a total of 2296 beds.
  • 13 campsites with a total of 383 beds.

European hiking trails

The Bulgarian Tourism Association and the European Hiking Association maintain the European long-distance hiking trails in Bulgaria. Three of these European long-distance hiking trails run through Bulgaria:

Today, a total of 2,150 km of marked hiking trails are maintained on the Bulgarian sections of the European long-distance hiking trails E-3, E-4 and E-8.

See also

Web links