The chairwoman of parliament and the English ambassador at the stand of NTG at the May Festival

The chairwoman of the Bulgarian parliament Tsetska Tsacheva and the British Ambassador Jonathan Allen visited the stand of “New Thracian Gold" (NTG) at the May Festival “Future with traditions - Kardzhali 2012” on 26 May. The festival was organized for the second time by the Regional Administration of Kardzhali under the patronage of Mrs. Tsacheva.

The parliament chairwoman and the English ambassador talked with representatives of the project, about its ambitions and achievements and its three components - sustainable tourism, organic farming and wildlife, as well as the efforts to make the Eastern Rhodopes a popular destination for alternative tourism.

Mrs. Tsacheva and Ambassador Allen received tourism brochures of the project and gifts - wine from Stambolovo and honey from Topolovo. The British ambassador was among those who bought the Eastern Rhodopes guidebook, issued this year by the project.

The NTG stand was visited by more guests compared to last year. More people bought from the organic and local products that were exhibited: Wine, tahini, honey, nuts, maps, guides. Visitors talked with the grape and wine producers from the area of Stambolovo, Krassimir Arabadzhiev (Kasim), owner of the model organic farm of NTG in the village of Topolovo, and Petko Angelov from Rabovo – owner of the guest house and producer of organic wheat. At tasting was organized of wine , homemade pie and spinach with sesame seeds and bread from spelt (einkorn).

Kasim and his wife Sebiha competed in the contest for best pastry and won first place for pastry with organic products.

Among the guests of the Festival was the Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Ivo Marinov. He said that according to preliminary estimates from tourism, this year, there is   more than three billion euro expected to be in the budget. There was a growte of between five and eight percent  expected in the number of foreign tourists this year.

Picture: The chairwoman of the Bulgarian parliament Tsetska Tsacheva at NTG stand