Tourism Minister Calls for Global Artistic Talent: Design a Bulgaria-Inspired Poster

Sofia, May 13, BTA/GNA – On Monday, Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh extended an invitation to artists worldwide to design a poster capturing their perception of Bulgaria, whether seen firsthand or still undiscovered. "Real, inspirational, and unique" were the qualities he emphasized in his post on Facebook.

He shared an image of Prof. Bozhidar Yonov’s famous poster, which earned him the top spot at the International Tourism Poster Contest in Milan back in 1970. "Now, he returns to the global arena—as an inspiration for the inaugural international tourism poster contest hosted by Bulgaria," Borshosh highlighted.

On May 8, the International Triennial of Stage Posters – Sofia collaborated with the Ministry of Tourism. launched a Travel Poster Contest for Bulgaria The event at the BTA National Press Club in Sofia will be held with the backing of the Union of Bulgarian Artists, the National Academy of Art, and the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). An agreement for media collaboration has been established between BTA and the International Triennial of Stage Poster – Sofia. This memorandum was endorsed by Kiril Valchev, who serves as the BTA Director General, along with Professor Bozhidar Yonov.

The objective of this contest is to create a poster showcasing the allure and favorable reputation of Bulgaria as a prime location for tourism throughout the year. Participants must include the word "Bulgaria" in their designs but do not have to incorporate logos or slogans. Contest outcomes will be disclosed by late July. This event offers a total reward pool of €10,000. It includes one grand prize of €3,000, three identical second-place prizes each worth €2,000, along with an encouragement award valued at €1,000. According to the organizers, the judging panel retains discretion over how these rewards can be allocated based on proposal quality without exceeding the stated budget. Additionally, all winning entries alongside shortlisted ones will be featured in a special exhibit.

"The International Triennial of Stage Poster maintains connections with numerous global artists active in the realm of poster design. It is my sincere wish that we will receive several intriguing posters focused on Bulgaria, as I am eager to observe an artist's interpretation of their understanding of our country. A great number of these creators still turn to literature and digital resources like the web to discover compelling aspects about Bulgaria, exploring what information they might uncover. In this manner, Bulgaria gains exposure without intentional promotion," stated Prof. Bozhidar Yonov, one of the event's founders, on May 8th.

“The Bulgarian News Agency has partnership agreements in the artistic field with various organizations to date, with the National Academy of Art we have a long-term partnership. We owe the new look of the LIK magazine to the work of our partners from the Academy. We announced a competition for students, who, with the help of their teachers, suggested this rather bold concept, which has already gained ground. In addition, thanks to the Academy, we have a new Cyrillic font, especially made for BTA, called LIK again, based on the Bulgarian letters, inherited from the disciples of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius from the 9th century. We are now imposing this unified look everywhere, and we are also providing it to other institutions. I take this opportunity to tell you that today we will provide it to the St Cyril and St Methodius National Library,” Kiril Valchev said.

He remembered that other collaborators for the agency within the realm of artistic creation include the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts located in Plovdiv, several universities focusing on areas such as fine arts, design, graphic web design, and visual arts. "Our agreements extend to institutions like the National Vocational High School of Printing and Photography, along with both the National Art Gallery and the Sofia City Art Gallery," stated Valchev.

"BTA will disseminate details regarding the international competition amongst its network of partners. Given our bi-lateral agreements with 50 news agencies, this chance for contributors to join the global contest will extend across numerous nations," Valchev noted additionally.

This is the first international advertising poster competition ever dedicated to Bulgaria, Albena Spasova, co-founder of the triennial, said.

"Reflecting on our efforts, we aimed to recreate an overview of current trends in tourist poster advertisements. We were highly excited by the Ministry of Tourism’s daring proposal to host a contest. It was crucial to us that this event be held internationally. Such a competition wouldn’t have materialized without the ministry's support since, for the very first time in Bulgaria, there is a set prize pool totaling €10,000. This places the competition at par with similar events worldwide, like those run by Finnish, French, Spanish counterparts among others. Our main hurdles lie in keeping the nature of the contest entirely unrestricted intentionally. Rather than guiding entrants towards specific themes—be they cultural or gastronomic tours—the aim is to produce a cohesive and striking visual representation. We anticipate that over these coming two months, both local and global professionals will take notice. Participation isn't limited; even students are welcome," noted Spasova.

BTA/GNA

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