Hospitality & Tourism Investment ForumHome - HTIF 2026

Hospitality & Tourism Investment Forum (HTIF) is Bulgaria’s leading hospitality business platform and one of the most attended B2B conferences in Europe. In 2026, HTIF returns for its 11th edition with an expanded program across three dynamic days — 12, 13 and 14 October. The forum will bring together in Sofia over 1,000 international and Bulgarian hospitality investors, hotel owners, executives, F&B leaders, restaurateurs, tour operators, short-term rental operators, architects, designers, industry suppliers and public-sector representatives.

Programme

12 October

All times are Sofia time (EEST / UTC+3)

19:00 – 21:30

HTIF 2026 Opening Cocktail Party

Foyer outside Hall 3 / Admission for confirmed cocktail guests only

Drinks, music, relaxed conversations, and an opportunity to mingle with speakers, partners, colleagues and friends in an informal setting.

13 October (Hall 3)

Destination marketing, Eurovision 2027, investment, design, gastronomy and restaurant management

8:00 – 8:45

Registration and Coffee-break

8:45 – 9:00

HTIF 2026 Opening

9:00 – 9:30

Inbound tourism, seasonality and international markets: How is Bulgaria performing towards the end of 2026? What can we expect in 2027?

Ivan Groshev

Chairman of the Bulgarian Association of Incoming Agencies

Ventsislav Tanchev

Managing Director of SunTours Varna and owner of Wave Resort, Pomorie, and mOdus, Varna hotels

ТВА

9:30 – 10:50

Travel trends, event tourism, Eurovision 2027: How can Bulgaria unlock its full potential as a destination in 2027?

Claire McColgan CBE

Director of Culture for Liverpool City Council

Michael Reusch

CEO of Fraport Twin Star Airport Management AD, the concessionaire of Varna Airport and Burgas Airport

Stefan Elenkov

CEO of Fest Team

Miloš Milovanović

Partner at GainingEdge Analysis & Research (GEAR)

10:50 – 11:10

Coffee & Networking Break

11:10 – 12:10

Hotel business ahead of 2027: Trends, threats and opportunities

(Panel Partner: JYSK Bulgaria)

Pankaj Birla

Regional Vice President, Eastern Europe of Marriott International

Veselin Danev

CEO of Libena Resorts

Ryan Bains

Account Director at STR

Kristina Panayotova

B2B manager at JYSK

12:10 – 12:30

Coffee & Networking Break

12:30 – 13:20

Hotel investments in 2026/27: Promising concepts and locations, specific risks

(Panel Partner: Matrix Fitness)

Ömer Isvan

President of Servotel Corporation

Alexander Petkov

Director of Strategic Partnerships at PHD Asset Management | Europe

Alexis Feuillat

Senior Director, Business Development, Black Sea, Caucasus & CIS at Banyan Group

Dr. Ali Pirzada

Project Director at ABFA Investments

Peter Atanasov

Country Manager at Matrix Fitness Bulgaria

13:20 – 14:05

Lunch Break

14:05 – 14:45

Hospitality beyond hotels: the evolution of the short-term rental market amid shrinking margins and tighter regulation

(Panel Partner: Geberit)

Dino Karic

Co-founder and CEO of FLOK

Dobromir Valev

Managing Director of Topola Skies Management

Zachary Milenkov

Co-founder of Rentify

Ana Dilova

Business Development Manager at Geberit

14:45 – 15:05

Coffee & Networking Break

15:05 – 15:35

From design to competitive edge: Using a distinctive concept to (re)position a hotel and drive stronger commercial performance

(Panel Partner: RUDI-AN Furniture)

Arch. Borislav Bogdanov

Owner of Amfion Studio (Sofia)

Alex Kovachev

Owner of IDEA Design Studio

Radoslav Hristov

General Manager of Rudi An Furniture Factory

15:35 – 16:05

Wellness as a revenue stream for hotels: Driving occupancy, ADR and guest loyalty through health and longevity programmes

(Panel Partner: Crystal Spa and Wellness)

Dr. Rayna Stoyanova

Chairwoman of Bulgarian Longevity Association

Sisi Belichenova

General Manager of Maxi Velingrad Park Hotel & Spa

Denitsa Kirkova

CEO of Crystal Spa and Wellness

16:05 – 16:35

Coffee & Networking Break

16:35 – 16:55

Fireside chat with Anna and Gianfranco Chiarini from Dieci Boutique Restaurant

Anna Chiarini

Co-owner and Sommelier of Dieci Boutique Restaurant

Gianfranco Chiarini

Co-owner and Executive Chef of Dieci Boutique Restaurant

16:55 – 17:55

Beyond the plate: Turning a restaurant into a destination through flavour, service, storytelling and ambience

(Panel Partner: Essity | TORK)

Teodor Zarkov

Owner of Balkan Falsch restaurant (Sofia)

Petar Yankov

Owner of Petrus and Lopatar restaurants (Sofia)

Tsvetelina Bilareva

General Manager of Uva Nestum Wine & SPA, Gotse Delchev

Nikola Todorov

Executive Chef at Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko

Zhivko Vlashki

Owner and Executive Chef of Ramira Hotel and Restaurant (Kyustendil)

Desislava Sultzer

Account Manager Sales South East Europe at Essity Professional Hygiene, TORK

17:55 – 18:25

From busy to profitable: How concept, menu, pricing and management shape a sustainable restaurant business

Veselin Kalev

Executive Chef of Flora Boutique Hotel (Боровец)

Milissa Manche

Co-owner and Executive Chef of Valere and Tams House restaurants (Plovdiv)

Todor Tanchev

Co-owner and Executive Chef of Valere and Tams House restaurants (Plovdiv)

Dessislava Kutsarova

Development Director of Happy Bar & Grill, Burrata Italiana and Captain Cook

14 October (Hall 3)

Market positioning, revenue management, leadership and building high-performing teams

9:30 – 9:40

Opening of the Day

9:40 – 10:20

OTAs, tour operators, direct sales: Managing channels for higher profitability

(Panel Partner: Quendoo)

Mariella Balcheva

Director of Operations at DoubleTree by Hilton Plovdiv Center

Zlatina Mihaylova

General Manager of Aquamarine Hotel (Kranevo)

Gorian Varbanov

Co-Founder of Quendoo

10:20 – 10:50

Coffee & Networking Break

10:50 – 11:20

From higher occupancy to higher profitability: Rethinking revenue management in 2026

(Panel Partner: DES Management)

Cindy Heo

Associate Professor of revenue management at EHL Hospitality Business School, Lausanne, Switzerland

Desislava Dimitrova

General Manager at DES Management

11:20 – 11:50

Coffee & Networking Break

11:50 – 12:40

Beyond the hype: Where AI and technology deliver real value in hotels?

(Panel Partner: TP-Link)

Jules Brookfield

CTO of Archipelago Hotels & Resorts

Lyubomir Stamboliyski

Commercial Director of Sts. Constantine and Helena Holding

Stanislav Ivanov

President of International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT)

Diyan Dimitrov

Pre-sales Manager at TP-Link

12:40 – 13:00

Coffee & Networking Break

13:00 – 13:30

Digital marketing and branding: Which channels, formats and messages really work

Georgi Malchev

Managing Partner at digital agency Xplora

Boyan Alexandrov

General Manager of Best Western Plus Olives City Hotel (Sofia)

ТВА

13:30 – 14:30

Lunch Break

14:30 – 14:45

Exclusive first look: Key findings from the annual national survey of Bulgaria’s hospitality labour market

George Dutchev

Director of the Hospitality & Tourism Investment Forum (HTIF)

14:45 – 15:45

Hotel team of the future: How to attract, develop and retain people in a globally competitive talent market?

(Panel Partner: Eurograde Consult)

Anna Bozhkova

General Manager of Arte Spa & Park and Kashmir Wellness & SPA (Velingrad)

Prof. Mariana Ianeva

Head of the Department of Tourism Economics at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE)

Igor Rüge

General Manager of Four Points by Sheraton Bansko

Diyana Chimlyarova

General Manager of Ramada Corniche, Abu Dhabi

Alexander Todorov

General Manager of Eurograde Consult

15:45 – 16:15

Coffee & Networking Break

16:15 – 17:00

Hotel management under pressure: How to lead amid rising costs, shifting demand and talent shortages

Teodor Minev

General Manager of Voya Beach Resort, St. Vlas

Antoaneta Ignatova

Cluster General Manager of Alexandria Club Hotels

Zhivko Zheliazkov

General Manager of Park Hotel Vitosha (Sofia)

Maksim Sekov

CEO of Therma Village, Kranevo

Dimitar Kolev

General Manager of SPA Resort St Ivan Rilski, Bansko

Closing Remarks

Working languages: English and Bulgarian, with simultaneous interpretation available.
Programme subject to change.

Reserve your place

Why join

Over just two conference days, you will gain concentrated access to insights, expertise and solutions that can be applied immediately after the event – knowledge that would be difficult to gather from so many different sources elsewhere.

You will hear leading international speakers share case studies, proven practices and experience from different markets, with lessons that can be applied in the Bulgarian context.

You will exchange insights and ideas with peers from across the country, compare approaches, challenge your own thinking, and benchmark your decisions against the latest developments shaping the industry.

You will leave with practical strategies to improve management, strengthen profitability and drive more sustainable hotel growth — or, if you are developing a new project, to make better-informed investment decisions from the outset.

What hoteliers say about the forum

“It was a true privilege to meet at the Forum outstanding professionals from around the world – people who share the belief that Bulgaria has the potential to become a leading destination on the global hospitality map.”

Julieta Mechkarska – Executive Director, Food & Beverage, The Beach Club at The Boca Raton Resort, USA

“Organising an event of this scale, bringing together so many professionals – Including international participants – and attracting such strong brands as sponsors speaks volumes about the work of your dynamic team.”

Georgi Ganchev, General Manager, Fairmont Baku Flame Towers, Baku, Azerbaijan

“I am grateful for the engaging discussions, forward-thinking ideas and inspiring energy!”

Zhivko Ivanov, Director of Asset Management, Galaxy Investment Group

“HTIF was filled with new connections and reinforced our confidence that we are keeping pace with industry trends.”

Nela Tincheva, Co-founder, Villa Sintica, Sandanski

“Year after year, you continue to secure strong international participation, raising the level of the event and genuinely broadening the perspective of hospitality professionals.”