After Bulgaria becomes EU member state, it will be eligible for financial aid for its tourism sector. Destinations that municipalities suggest would compete for EU funds after 2008, Capital newspaper reported.

The report said that regions, developing spa tourism and holding authentic folklore events had highest chances to receive EU funding.

Other projects that could apply for financial aid included ethnographic complexes and cultural tourism destinations.

Black Sea  and mountain resorts would not be eligible for such funding, Capital reported.

Bulgaria is expected to receive 1.361 billion euro from the EU regional development operative programme in the period between 2007 and 2013, Regional Development Minister Assen Gagauzov said.

Municipalities could already start working on projects, in order to be eligible for EU resources after the EU entry, Gagauzov said.

Bulgaria was mostly concerned about the lack of experience in the drafting of projects and the inability of the state to provide co-funding in all cases, Capital repo