A group of Bulgarian tour firms wants new rules for school and children's trips. The "Future for Tourism" association (OBT) says the regulation on children's and school trips must be brought into line with the tourism law and the new EU directive on package travel. It set out its demands at a news conference at the BTA National Press Club in Sofia.

OBT also wants state subsidies on the European model, and educational trips added to school curricula. Pavlina Ilieva, chair of the OBT management board, said this would show what to expect from the children when they grow up and take an active part in society.

"When we have a state budget, and that money goes specifically to educating children, we know what we are putting into these children," Ilieva told BTA.

The association says schools should look at more than price when they pick a tour operator. They should also check how well the offer meets the trip's educational goals. OBT says the school head should sign the package tour contract. Parents should pay the operator by bank transfer, as the rules limiting cash payments require.

The group also wants to clear up the contradictions over travel allowances for teachers when a school has no budget. If the tour operator covers the costs, this should be set out in an official school document or a civil contract.

OBT also asks the Ministry of Education and Science to issue guidance on how to apply the regulation. It says regional education departments now have different notification rules and different requirements. The changes would also affect the regulation on business trips in Bulgaria and the Tourism Act.

OBT has sent its proposals on an official form to the Reform Council at the Ministry of Tourism. Ilieva said the council has not yet set up a working group, and no real work on the proposals has begun.

At the news conference, Asparuh Machirski, manager of the tour operator Machirski Sport, said 80% of children's and school tourism in Bulgaria is in the grey economy. He said the commission paid to teachers has become "the key to a trip".

Machirski says some tour operators pressure teachers with tempting offers. He said money is often paid in cash, with no contracts and no declaration.

He called for all payments to go through banks, and for the allowed travel distances to depend on the children's age.

Earlier this week, ombudsman Velislava Delcheva asked for a check on the prices of one-day trips for schoolchildren and kindergarten pupils. She said parents are growing angrier. They report offers of €40–50 for short trips that do not include food or entry fees to sites.