Bulgarian association of travel agents

About BATA

Bulgarian Association of Travel Agents (BATA) is a non-governmental, non-profit making organization, established in 1992 to represent and protect the economic rights and interests of tour operators and travel agents, to support and encourage their economic activities.

 

MEMBERS

 

At present the association unites over 250 members:

• Regular members are tour operators and travel agents with long-term experience in the travel industry and proven professionalism;
• Affiliate members are companies and individuals, whose activities and interests are related to tourism development. 

BATA members generate 75% of the incoming tourism and 70% of the outgoing tourism of Bulgaria. Our member companies are working actively on the Romania, German, Greek, Russian, British, Scandinavian, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, Macedonian, etc. markets, and successfully develop new products on destinations still unfamiliar for Bulgarians.

BATA members could be identified by BATA logo, which is displayed in the companies offices, advertisement materials and web-sites.

VISION

Bulgaria is a competitive and attractive tourist destination and BATA members guarantee for the quality of the tourist product.

MISSION

• To consolidate and encourage the professionalism of tourist companies, to structure and promote Bulgaria’s tourist products;
• To provide favourable conditions for cooperation between tourist companies towards achievement of sustainable development of the Bulgarian tourist industry.

PRIORITIES

• To stimulate the creation of favourable legal and business environment for tourism development;
• To establish rules of professional ethics and fair competition among the players on the tourism market;
• To contribute to the improvement of the Bulgarian tourist product;
• To support new investments in the tourism sector;
• To assist our members in establishing business contacts with Bulgarian and foreign partners;
• To cooperate for the protection of customers’ rights.

ACTIVITIES:

• Interacts with central and local government structures on the issues of tourism development;
• Develops and defends proposals and statements on the amendment of the legal framework regulating the tourism and related spheres;
• Participates in the development of strategies and programmes concerning tourism;
• Conducts negotiations with hotels, transport companies, tour guides’ associations, insurance companies to achieve better economic conditions for its members;
• Provides useful information to its members;
• Participates and assists its members’ participation in international tourism fairs and exhibitions;
• Consults the elaboration of professional requirements for tour operators, travel agents, hotels and restaurants and participates in commissions for registration of tour operators and travel agents;
• Organizes seminars, workshops and conferences for its members;
• Participates in national and international projects;
• Interacts with foreign embassies in Bulgaria to search for solutions to encourage tourism relations between Bulgaria and the respective country;
• Maintains a web-site with news and useful information for its members, as well as a data base on the members’ profiles to be used by the wider public.

BATA has been several times a beneficiary under PHARE and Leonardo da Vinci programmes related to foreign language vocational training of tourist personnel, to adoption of European standards in tourism, as well as consumer’s information and rights protection.

BATA is currently implementing a project under the Operating Program "Human Resources Development" of Bulgaria for training the staff of its member companies. 

 

MANAGING BODIES 

Board of Directors

Mrs. Svetlana Atanasova - Chairman

Mr. Galin Georgiev - Vice Chairman

Mr. George Rachev - Vice Chairman 

Members (alphabetically)

Mr. Asparuh Machirski 

Mrs. Daniela Markova    

Mrs. Ivona Avramova

Mrs. Maria Yankova

Mr. Odisey Spasov

Mr. Vasil Antonov

 

SUPERVISORY COUNCIL

Mrs. Maya Kaneva - Chairman

Members (alphabetically)

Mrs. Rumyana Monevska

Mrs. Rumyana Todorova 
 

SECRETARIATE

Mrs. Milena Borisova- Executive Secretary

 

STANDING COMMITTEES