Romania and its Southern neighbor Bulgaria plan to open a joint tourism office in China, according to the Bulgarian authorities.

The two countries intend to find and promote common tourism products, aiming to attract more tourists from outside the EU. One of the options is to develop a cultural tourism itinerary, such as the Roman Emperors’ Route, passing both countries.

Bulgarian authorities said some 14,000 Chinese tourists came to their country in 2014, double on 2011. Meanwhile, Romania welcomed over 20,000 Chinese tourists last year.

Attracting Chinese visitors is one of the main aims of most large European countries that invest in developing their tourism. Romania and Bulgaria will have to compete with countries like France, Germany, Russia or Switzerland in attracting Chinese tourists, as well as with the US and other Asian countries, which are among the Chinese favorites when going abroad.

editor@romania-insider.com