OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF GEOLOGICAL TOURISM IN BULGARIA. UNUSED NICHES TO TOURISM ECONOMY

Anunused niche for the economy in the tourism sector is the development of geo-tourism, in particular geological tourism. The essence of geological tourism Is considered as one of the many components of geotourism. There is a critical review of normative documents that should address the modern development of geo-tourism in Bulgaria. Specific proposals for improving the regulatory documents are outlined. When designing and implementing the strategic objectives, there must be an explicit section on the development of geological tourism as an important subspecies of ecotourism. It is necessary to work in the direction of advertising, geo-conserving, socializing, announcing geoparks and creating routes for networking of these phenomena. The national geographic network must be bound to European and global. This sector of the economy would be very profitable, since everything close to nature is a free niche in the globalizing economy. The basic principles, the classification of destinations, the strategy for the development of geological tourism are presented using the ones already adopted for geotourism. On this basis ananalysis of the situation in the country and the opportunities for the development of geological tourism is made. The problems and the possible directions ahead of it are outlined. Whether they are interested in geology, people perceive geological phenomena as worthwhile, because they affect them aesthetically. What's more, in many cases, they are related to everyday life, culture and history. Sometimes geological phenomena even determine the traditions and behavior of people. Therefore, the geological heritage is perceived as a natural phenomenon that affects the lifestyle, traditions and relationships of people and must be preserved for future generations. Bulgaria is a natural geological museum. Geological Conservation in Bulgaria is in a transitional period that can give a powerful boost to the geological tourism or fall into a significant lag behind the European practices. For a successful transition to the legitimation of the Bulgarian geological heritage to the world, certain steps should be taken: to take urgent measures to recognize the problems of the Bulgarian geo-conservancy at the highest level; immediate approval by the Protected Areas Act of the new Geotop and Geopark categories or to prepare a separate geological heritage law; inclusion of regions with famous geologicall and marks among the priorities of the Operational Program for Regional Development – Regions in Growth. Geological tourism is one of the most romantic offerings for every lover of travels, so today numerous rock phenomena located on the territory of the country attract a large number of tourists.