SmartBirds
Between 12 and 14 February, the international tourism exhibition Holiday & Spa Expo took place at the Inter Expo Centre, where the team of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds officially presented the new online platform VisitSakar.com to a broad audience for the first time.
During the exhibition, our team participated with a dedicated stand and delivered a presentation focused on the opportunities for sustainable tourism in Sakar and Southeastern Bulgaria. Representatives of the tourism sector and visitors to the forum were introduced to the platform’s concept: to bring together comprehensive information about the region’s natural heritage, cultural traditions, local initiatives, and opportunities for responsible travel.
Our partners Zaara Estate shared insights into the distinctive flavours of Sakar, while our team presented one of the region’s most emblematic species — the Imperial Eagle — and the conservation efforts dedicated to its protection.
The presentation also highlighted Sakar as a model for tourism development that supports local communities while safeguarding nature. Visitors had the opportunity to taste selected wines from the association Wines of Sakar, as well as local dairy and meat delicacies from the region.
Participation in Holiday & Spa Expo provided an important opportunity for the platform to reach new partners, tour operators, and travellers interested in lesser-known yet highly valuable destinations in Bulgaria.
VisitSakar.com has been developed under the project “From Iron Curtain to Green Belt), funded by the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme (ELSP) that is managed by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative – a collaboration between the Chancellor Masters and Scholars of the University of Cambridge of The Old Schools and leading internationally-focused biodiversity conservation organisations. The University and the ELSP are supported by Arcadia – a charitable fund of Peter Baldwin and Lisbet Rausing.
