Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Elisabeth Bleiker from Switzerland: Bulgaria must remain authentic to intrigue European tourists

Photo: BTA

The Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association has presented its annual awards for professional achievements in the field of tourism, in which it also distinguished the work of Swiss Elizabeth Bleecker in promoting Bulgaria as a tourist destination in three countries – Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We were surprised to find that Elisabeth Bleiker's interest in Bulgaria began long before she met her Bulgarian husband. She was only 19 years old at the time, and what provoked her curiosity was the millenia-old Bulgarian history.


Born and raised in a family of a farmer and writer in a Swiss village high in the mountains, Elizabeth admits that she had always dreamed of growing wings so she could fly and explore the world. She follows her dream, and today she manages to inspire European travelers to discover the beauty of our homeland. How do her recommendations to visit Bulgaria reach potential tourists from the three countries?

"Thanks to my profession and my husband's work, I have an extremely wide circle of acquaintances. Everyone asks me what we do in Bulgaria where we live for three months every year. So, I tell them about what they can experience and see if they visit the country. Thanks to my contacts, I also try to convince several travel agencies to offer a wider range of travel packages for Bulgaria, not just vacations on the Black Sea coast. I talk about the rich cultural and historical heritage, the Bulgarian monasteries, the mountains, the numerous mineral springs and the opportunities for spa and wellness holidays," Swiss Elisabeth Bleiker tells Radio Bulgaria.


Elisabeth has her own private practice as a psychiatrist, and her husband has worked for many years to attract Swiss investors to Bulgaria. Today, however, she is no longer involved in this, and the couple lives in Zurich. Their connection with Bulgaria though remains uninterrupted also thanks to the news and varied content of Radio Bulgaria. Elisabeth also often listens to the German-language podcast of Radio Bulgaria "Bulgaria Today", which we prepare every weekday, where we talk about different aspects of life in Bulgaria, lead the audience on interesting routes and immerse them in the diversity of Bulgarian music and traditions.

The surprising advice from Elisabeth Bleiker is that Bulgaria should not rely too much on tourism advertising. The explanation is that there are many examples of destinations in Italy and Spain, where overtourism is observed, to deal with which local authorities are forced to introduce various restrictions and fees.

"Bulgaria must remain authentic with its beauty, delicious and diverse cuisine, hospitality and rich culture and history, as it is at the moment. This is precisely what attracts the people I communicate with and makes them want to return to the country again and again."


You can hear the full interview of Joan Kolev with Elisabeth Bleiker from Switzerland on the German-language webpage of Radio Bulgaria.


Photos: BTA 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

WWF Bulgaria draws attention to bear conservation

In the week of St. Andrew’s Day (also known as Bears’ Day or Mechkinden), WWF is drawing attention to six orphaned bear cubs who have been given a second chance at life.  The initiative is part of the "Subscribe to Nature" campaign and..

published on 11/27/24 11:28 AM

Bulgarian Posts are expecting children's letters to Santa Claus

For the 30th consecutive year, the Bulgarian Posts organize a contest for the most beautiful letter to Santa Claus. Letters must be sent by 18 December with a stamped envelope "For Santa", the sender's address indicated and postage paid. All..

published on 11/26/24 8:05 AM
Emma, the new humanoid robot of the Varna Regional Library.

Robot Emma to give presentations at Varna library

The Varna Regional Library "Pencho Slaveykov" has acquired a humanoid robot. It was unveiled by the library's director, Radka Kalcheva, during the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the library's American Corner, in the presence of Eric Brasel, the..

published on 11/23/24 4:56 PM