1,600,000 Bulgarians traveled abroad during the first half of 2008 and spent a total of 636 mln euros during their trips, said Anelia Krushkova, chair of the National Tourism Agency.

Foreign visitors to Bulgaria increased by 12.7% in the period, while the number of Bulgarians vacationing in other countries rose 28.1%, BGNES reports.

Greece is the most popular destination for Bulgarians. It has been visited by 850,000 Bulgarians so far this year, compared with 154,000 in H1 last year.

The number one problem the tourism sector in Bulgaria faces is the lack of qualified personnel, according to Mrs. Krushkova. A lot needs to be done in the sphere of advertising as well. The chairman of the National Tourism Board Mr. Krasimir Gergov said the board was working with a very tight budget and is looking for new ideas and initiatives.

Krsukova herself said she will spend her summer vacation in the Zlatni Piasatsi Resort, but she made her reservation via an Austrian tour operator as the Bulgarian ones are not offering very good conditions in his words.