Maria Belkoleva has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Port Burgas for three years, where she demonstrated strong leadership and a clear commitment to achieving the port’s strategic goals. During her tenure, she led several European projects in cooperation with other ports and organisations, contributing to the growth and development of Port Burgas.

Known for her communication and organisational skills, Maria Belkoleva knows how to motivate teams to effectively achieve goals. Her background includes experience in both governmental and non-governmental organisations, where her expertise in strategic planning, process management and goal execution has contributed to the successful operation of Port Burgas.

Maria Belkoleva played a key role in organising the 63rdGeneral Assembly of MedCruise, which was held in Burgas, Bulgaria. She has a solid understanding of the organisation’s goals, strategies, external and internal policies and structure.With over 16 years of experience in the tourism sector, Maria Belkoleva was also a Director of the Board of Directors of FIABCI Canada. She has been a speaker at several FIABCI World Annual Congress events, including “Tourism and Investment” in Dubai (2018), Global Business Summit in Indonesia(2018), “Trade and Investment Mission” in Kyiv (2019) and “The Digital Era in Tourism” in Moscow(2019).

In addition, Maria Belkoleva served two terms as Deputy Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria, where she was responsible for the formation of the country’s international tourism policies. During her tenure, she played a decisive role in expanding Bulgaria’s presence in the world tourism markets, promoting international cooperation and stimulating the development of tourism infrastructure. Her ability to navigate complex political landscapes and build productive relationships with international stakeholders reinforce her expertise in international relations and policy development.

Maria holds two master’s degrees: one in Infrastructure Economics from the University of National andWorld Economy, Sofia, and another in National Security from the G.S. Rakovski Military Academy, Sofia.She also holds certificates in “Strategic Planning”; “Business Planning” and “Analysis and TradeFinance” Certificate from the University of Toronto.

Maria is married and has two children. Speaks Bulgarian, English and Russian languages