INNOVATIVE TOURISM PRODUCTS AS A FACTOR FOR SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN BULGARIA
Keywords:
innovations, tourism products, sustainable development, regional development, Bulgaria.Abstract
Innovative tourism products play a key role in the sustainable development of
Bulgarian regions. This paper aims to analyze the impact of innovations in the tourism sector on the
economic, social, and cultural development of regions in Bulgaria. The study presents a
classification of innovative tourism products, examines concepts from academic literature, and
illustrates their potential through practical examples.
The paper discusses various types of innovative products, including unique tourism
experiences, integration of digital technologies, and specialized thematic packages, which stimulate
tourist interest and contribute to diversifying regional offerings. The analysis emphasizes that
innovations not only enhance the competitiveness of tourist destinations but also support the
development of human capital through staff training and skill improvement, as well as strengthen
the social and cultural identity of the regions.
The study concludes with recommendations for targeted policies and collaboration between
regional authorities and the tourism sector to foster sustainable innovation practices and to promote
the development of innovative tourism products as a factor for sustainable growth in Bulgarian
regions.
References
1. Димитров, П. (2006), Иновации в туризма. Благоевград.
2. Angelova, V. (2022). In search of an answer to the question of recognizing optimal tax
policies for overcoming COVID-19 against accelerated economic recovery of the Bulgarian
economy. Proceedings of the scientific conference “Knowledge, science, technologies,
innovations”, 154–160.
3. Angelova, V. (2023). Some conceptual aspects of stabilisation trends in the framework of
EU fiscal regulation. In XIX IBANESS Congress Series – Proceedings (pp. 379–389).
University of Agribusiness and Rural Development.
4. Becker, G. S. (1993). Human capital: A theoretical and empirical analysis, with special
reference to education (3rd ed.). University of Chicago Press.
5. Camagni, R. (2002). On the concept of territorial competitiveness: Sound or misleading?
Urban Studies, 39(13), 2395–2411.
6. Cooper, C., Fletcher, J., Fyall, A., Gilbert, D., & Wanhill, S. (2008). Tourism: Principles
and practice (4th ed.). Pearson Education.
7. Gabor, M. R., Oltean, F. D., & Popescu, C. R. (2023). Regional competitiveness and
innovation in tourism destinations. Sustainability, 15(4), 1–18.
8. Hjalager, A.-M. (2010). A review of innovation research in tourism. Tourism
Management, 31(1), 1–12.
9. Lyaskova Velikova, M. (2025). Innovative tourism products and regional development
10. OECD. (2020). Tourism policy responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19). OECD
Publishing.
11. Pine, B. J., & Gilmore, J. H. (1999). The experience economy: Work is theatre & every
business a stage. Harvard Business School Press.
12. Porter, M. E. (1990). The competitive advantage of nations. Free Press.
13. Richards, G. (2018). Cultural tourism: A review of recent research and trends. Journal of
Hospitality and Tourism Management, 36, 12–21.
14. Storper, M. (1997). The regional world: Territorial development in a global economy.
Guilford Press.
15. UNDP. (2016). Sustainable development goals. United Nations Development
Programme.
16. UNWTO. (2019). Tourism and sustainable development goals – Journey to 2030. World
Tourism Organization.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 New knowledge Journal of science

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.