POTENTIAL OF THE BEEKEEPING SECTOR FOR DEVELOPMENT OF BEE TOURISM IN THE NORTHEASTERN REGION OF BULGARIA

Abstract

The report includes an analysis of the state, trends and prospects of beekeeping and its relationship with tourism in Bulgaria. Beekeeping is considered as a branch of agriculture from its inception after the Liberation to our time and dynamics of development. The report presents the resource base (traditions, condition, production and sale of honey). For the needs of the analysis, data from the NSI, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the associations of beekeepers, processors and traders of honey and bee products, the Ministry of Tourism and branch tourist organizations and a survey of the author were used. Beekeeping is presented in the relation as a resource for the development of apitourism (bee tourism), as a non-traditional attractive specialized species, supporting farmers through non-agricultural practices.