Established in 1993, the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association – BHRA is a non-profit association with the main aim to to sustain the development of hotel and restaurant hospitality, to support entrepreneurship and private initiatives, as well as the tourism business in Bulgaria. The Association is a member of the International Hotel & Restaurant Association – IHRA and a member of the Balkan Alliance of Hotel Associations – BAHA. Furthermore, in conjunction with Veliko Tarnovo Municipality and Tsarevgrad Tarnov, BHRA is the initiator and founder of the first International Tourism Market – Cultural Tourism in Bulgaria, operating since 2004 in the town of Veliko Tarnovo – the culture capital on the Balkans.
The Association has regional structures throughout the whole country: Sofia, Slanchev Bryag, Zlatni Pyasatsi, Varna, Bansko, Veliko Tarnovo, Sandanski, Dobrich, Zlatograd, Smolyan, Velingrad, Pomorie, Chepelare, Blagoevgrad, Targovishte, Razgrad, Vidin, Pernik, the Stara planina region, Stara Zagora, Rouse and others. The numerous members of the Association include leading Bulgarian companies, manufacturers and partners from the Bulgarian tourism industry.
BHRA nurtures a continuous working relationship with the state and public organisations in Bulgaria – the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, the Ministry of Culture, various commissions within the National Assembly, the Bulgarian Association of the Tourist Agencies, the Bulgarian Association for Alternative Tourism (BAAT), the Association of the Bulgarian Touroperators and Tourist Agents (ABTTA), Sofia Tourist Council, the Bulgarian Union for Balneology and Spa Tourism (BUBST), the Bulgarian Association of Professional Chefs (BUPC), the National Association of Municipalities in Bulgaria (NAMB), the New Bulgarian University. BHRA also enjoys long-term and beneficial membership in the National Tourist Council, the Confederation of the employers and industrialists in Bulgaria – CEIBG, etc.
Among its activities, BHRA develops proposals for amendments in the legislative deeds, related to tourism. The members of the Association participate in numerous meetings and discussions, seminars and round tables on the issues of tourism every year. Additionally, BHRA ensures the participation of its members in the biggest national markets and exhibitions. It organises seminars and training programmes in hotel and restaurant management, as well as courses for additional qualification of its members. The Association also provides consultations and advertisement and public relations campaigns for the purpose of sustaining the image of the organisation, of its members and of Bulgarian tourism. Moreover, for the past eight years, BHRA manages one of the the most popular information sites of the Bulgarian tourism – www.bhra-bg.org, where visitors can learn about the Association, its members and the most pressing issues and problems of Bulgarian tourism.
For the past 25 years, BHRA’s success has been recognized with numerous prestigeous professional awards and distinctions for best achievements in the sphere of hotel and restaurant management, investments, etc. The Association also publishes the ‘Best Hotels and Restaurants in Bulgaria’ catalogue, representing its members and their colleagues throughout the whole country, along with many partners from the Bulgarian tourism industry.
