Dilyan Georgiev, a third-year student in the “Hospitality and Culinary Arts” programme at Varna University of Management, participated in the Youth Policy Dialogue in Athens, Greece, held on May 15, 2026. During the event, the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, met with 20 young representatives from countries across the European Union to discuss the future of tourism in the EU. We are proud to announce that our student was the sole participant representing Bulgaria.
According to the European Commission’s statement, the meeting was dedicated to the first EU Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and aimed to ensure that the voices and priorities of young people are reflected in European initiatives. The Youth Policy Dialogue brought together participants from different backgrounds to talk about how European tourism could be more sustainable and resilient, while reflecting the expectations of younger travellers.
Participants had the opportunity to engage directly in a dialogue with the Commissioner, ask questions, and share their perspectives. The most prominent topics raised by the young participants focused on ways to make tourism more accessible, especially for people with disabilities, how to promote lesser-known destinations, and how overtourism can be limited by implementing measures to manage visitor flows in popular destinations.
Commissioner Tzitzikostas emphasised that the purpose of the meeting, as part of the Youth Policy Dialogues, was to hear the proposals of young European citizens, rather than just the messages conveyed by the institutions.
The dialogues create a space for open discussions, the exchange of ideas, and building connections with young people. They focus on vital societal topics and enable youth to participate actively in democratic life, helping them better understand the decision-making process and its impact.
The invitation to Dilyan to represent Bulgaria in this dialogue is no coincidence. He is among the most active students at VUM, having served as the Deputy Chairman of the University’s Student Council over the past year, and readily participates in events organised by and for students, both locally and internationally.
We congratulate him on this opportunity and are confident that he will make a meaningful contribution by raising important topics and questions regarding tourism in the European Union.
The dialogue was broadcasted live and you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/live/KOFMIyyYfxU.
