International Round Table Conference on The Occasion of The 25th Anniversary of The Economics of Tourism Department

International Round Table Conference on the Tendencies and Challenges to Global Tourism was organized by the Economics of Tourism Department under the patronage of the Rector of the university Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Statty Stattev. The Scientific Forum was devoted to the 25^th Anniversary of the Department. At the event attended Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Hristo Parvanov, Dean of the Economics of Infrastructure Department, Prof. Dr. Dimitar Tadarakov, Head of the Economics of Tourism Department, Prof. Dr. Tanya Parusheva, Vice-Dean of the Faculty and Scientific Secretary of the Department, Prof. Dr. Manol Ribov, doyen of the Department, Branimir Botev, former Deputy Minister of Tourism, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asya Pencheva, lecturers, students and guests.

During the opening of the event: from the right to the left: Prof. Ribov, Prof. Parvanov, Prof. Tadarakov, Prof. Parusheva, Branimir Botev, Assoc. Prof. Pencheva

In the Forum participate 77 lecturers and Doctoral students and 69 reports will be delivered, outlined at the opening of the Round Table Conference Prof. Dr. Dimitar Tadarakov, Chairman of the Organizing Committee.

Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Hristo Parvanov read a Greeting address by the Rector Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Statty Stattev.  It the greeting is pointed out that “over the last quarter of the century the Department has confirmed itself as an integral part of UNWE and has won the respect of the academic community in the country and abroad responding to challenges with a lot of work, dedication, ambition, constant enhancement of the quality of education, academic growth of lecturers and participation in many national and international projects”. Prof. Stattev outlines the fact that over the last 10 years 27 Doctoral students have graduated from the Department and half of them have become lecturers at the universities in the whole country. He also says that in the current year the Department has achieved the highest accreditation assessment for the Educational Scientific Degree of Doctor in the professional field of Economics.

In the Large Conference Hall

The Rector points out as academic success for the Department the specialities for Bachelor`s degree in Bulgarian and in English language as well as the Master`s degree programmes on Tourist Business, International Tourism, Management in the Tourism and the joint Master`s degree programme with the French university Littoral Côte D’Opale - Economics of Tourism and Free Time. “These are the authentic facts explicitly proving the striving of Department to go forward, to improve constantly its academic and scientific activity”, is said in the Greeting address by the Rector.

Prof. Parvanov is reading the Greeting address by the Rector.

Prof. Stattev has emphasized that the university and the Department have been given the highest assessment by Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization and Doctor Honoris Causa of UNWE. “I absolutely share the opinion of Prof. Rifai namely that the progress of tourist education has never been more important than it is today when the tourist sector confirms itself as one of the largest and the fast expanding activity of our times”, is said by the Rector.

In his Greeting address Prof. Stattev wishes the participants in the Round Table Conference fruitful work and expresses his thankfulness for the honour of being its patronage.

Participants in the Round Table Conference

On the occasion of the jubilee the Department was honoured with the Commemorative Medal of Prof. Stephan Bobchev – Founder and First Rector of UNWE. It was awarded on behalf of the Rector by Prof. Hristo Parvanov to Prof. Tadarakov.

Prof. Parvanov (on the right) is awarding the distinction to Prof. Tadarkov.

Through a video connection the participants in the event heard the greeting words of Prof. Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of UNWTO.

 “Congratulations about your jubilee! The UNWE is the first Bulgarian university which has become an affiliate member of UNWTO. As Secretary-General of the Organization I highly appreciate the contribution of Bulgarian scientists to the sector of tourism which is very important for the development of economics in a global scale because the increasing income of the sector supports also the economic growth of each country”, pointed out Prof. Rifai.

The greeting by Prof. Rifai

“Today the tourism is faced to many challenges because of the fast information technologies development and so the sector of tourism has turned into challenge to many other sectors. So I think we should work together to meet the challenges of tomorrow”, outlined the Secretary-General of UNWTO.

The Dean Prof. Hristo Parvanov also greeted the Department and his colleagues on the occasion of the jubilee. He emphasized on the specific features of work at the Department: freedom of communications, sustainability and prosperity.

Greeting addresses to the Department-jubilee were read by representatives of St. Climent Ohridski University of Sofia, the Economic University of Varna, Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov University of Bourgas, the South West University of Blagoevgrad, New Bulgarian University, Colleges, Departments of UNWE, etc. (in the pictures below).

According to the Department Council decision on the occasion of the jubilee Honorary diplomas were awarded to Prof. Dr. Manol Ribov from the UNWE, Prof. Dr. Svetla Rakadzhiiska from the Economic University of Varna, Prof. Dr. Marin Neshkov from the Economic University of Varna, Prof. D.Sc. (Geography) Maria Vodenska from the University of Sofia, Prof. Dr. Vasil Marinov from the University of Sofia, Prof. Dr. Galina Rashkova from the University of Sofia, Prof. Dr. Tanya Dabeva from the Economic University of Varna, Prof. Dr. Stoyan Marinov from the Economic University of Varna as well as to Branimir Botev.

Prof. Tadarakov is awarding the distinction to Prof. Ribov.

Branimir Botev expressed his thankfulness for the award and greeted the Department on behalf of the Chairman of the Bulgarian Academy of Science Acad. Stefan Vodenicharov.

The work of the International Round Table Conference was organized in one plenary session and three thematic sections: Economics of Tourism and Free Time / Human Resources Management in the Tourism / Hospitality and Restaurant Industry / Special Types of Tourism / Marketing and Sustainable Development of Destinations / Tour Operating, Agents and Transport Activity.