Petar Denchev: The new union of hoteliers in Plovdiv will create a cohesive community of professionals
The set goals will be strictly followed. The union will strive to improve the business climate and work process through constant communication.
Plovdiv hotels union
A new tourism organization was established in Plovdiv – Plovdiv hotels union. The founders are 15 of the major hotels in the city – Vizualiza Residence Hotel, Gallery 37 Powered by ASTON, The Emporium Plovdiv – Mgallery, Imperial Plovdiv, Radisson individuals, DoubleTree by Hilton Plovdiv Center, Holiday Inn Plovdiv, an IHG Hotel, Best Western Premier Plovdiv Hills , The Stay Hotel, Residence City Garden, Villa Flavia Boutique Hotel, SPS Hotel, Hotel Leipzig, Kendros Hotel, Evmolpia Hotel Plovdiv, Hill House.
Petar Denchev became the chairman of the union. He is 34 years old from Plovdiv, by education – bachelor’s degree in “Marketing”, master’s degree in “Business Administration” at PU “Paisii Hilendarski”. The focus of his work is related to the creation, development, management and sales of boutique hotels. He is currently the general manager of the Gallery 37 Powered by ASTON hotel in Plovdiv, as well as the Project manager of a new boutique five-star hotel again in the Old Town of Plovdiv – Museum 37.
Mr. Denchev, what are the goals of the new union of hoteliers in Plovdiv?
The union aims to establish effective communication between hoteliers, to be a support and corrective in the development of creative policies for the development of the city as a tourist destination. We will strive to create a core of professionals working in a loyal competitive environment, which is the most important thing – to be united, and work to improve the service and satisfaction of the guests of Plovdiv. The union will unite its members in a community of professionals who together will initiate proposals and seek solutions on issues related to business at the local and national level. They will engage in professional interaction in the field of hospitality, helping to develop strategies for tourism development, improving the economic environment for hoteliers and creating links with stakeholders in the tourism sector. Plovdiv hotels union will contribute to increasing the quality of services offered by hotels, promoting professional communication and cooperation between its members.
How many hotels are there in Plovdiv and how many hotel rooms?
As of December 2023, there are 145 active categorized accommodation places in Plovdiv. with a total number of beds 6,840, and this number also includes accommodations with less than 10 beds.
How do you intend to support the advertising of Plovdiv?
Our idea for advertising Plovdiv as a destination is through various activities. We will help to implement good ideas and international practices suitable for their implementation in our latitude. We are open for conversations and support to all interested parties, so that Plovdiv can accelerate its way to being a world destination.
How will you work to improve the quality of the services offered?
Communication! We already know each other and we already talk. Together we will explore more and look for solutions that are as good as possible for our staff, who are the main driving force and the reason for the good results of each hotel. We will meet with the industry organizations in Plovdiv, which are closely related to the experience of every single visitor to the city. We will communicate directly with the Municipality of Plovdiv with the idea of helping and assisting in all urgent matters related to accommodation and development of the city as a tourist destination.
How do you intend to help attract and train staff?
We will focus on partnering with universities and schools. Some of the members of the union currently have practices to show the world of hospitality to young people who study and want to develop in tourism. We believe that after the concentration of work in this direction, as well as with the availability of quality and proven personnel, a good alloy will be made. Ways will be found to increase the qualification of individual units through trainings and programs.
How will you attract more foreign tourists?
Plovdiv is the oldest city in Europe and the fifth oldest city in the world. It wins awards every year and ranks among the most visited European destinations. The Municipality of Plovdiv, and the tourism department in particular, tries to do its job in the best possible way. However, we know that there is always more, so with our appearance we want to make a request that in our person they can count on professionals with whom they can speak the same language. We will not take away the function of the municipality, we will not be organizers of events, but we will be initiators and hosts of such events. We will suggest good international practices suitable for integration in our city. We will keep the European vision of the city of Plovdiv with clear and precise requests.
How exactly will you work with the municipality and Plovdiv Airport for the development of the destination?
We already had a meeting with representatives of the Department of Tourism in the Municipality of Plovdiv. When you talk to people who know the problems and know the tools to solve them, you get along easily. We have a meeting with the mayor of Plovdiv, Mr. Kostadin Dimitrov, as well as representatives of Plovdiv airport. Sofia-Plovdiv connectivity problem is also on the agenda, because this is one of the big reasons why MICE tourism in Plovdiv is not working well, especially when we talk about foreign groups.
The interview was conducted by Miroslav Ivanov