Experts from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics are on a visit to the National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria from 10 to 12 June 2013. The visit is funded by the European Commission, under the Technical Assistance Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX) for implementation of the acquis communautaire, within the framework of which a short-term technical assistance in the form of seminars, study visits and expert missions is provided. Beneficiary countries are candidate countries and potential candidates for EU membership, from June 2006 - Russia and the countries from the European Neighbourhood Policy (incl. Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine).

The main goal of the training is Bulgarian experts to share their experience in organization and development of the Tourism Satellite Accounts.

The experts form the Business Trends, Innovation and Tourism Department will present the Bulgarian practices in the field of Tourism statistics. The BNSI studies on Accommodation Establishments Statistics, Trips of Bulgarian residents abroad and arrivals of visitors from abroad to Bulgaria and Tourist trips and tourism related expenditure of the population will be discussed in details. Experts form the Non-financial Accounts Department will present the System of National Accounts and its relation to Tourism Satellite Accounts. The guests from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics will present the System of National Accounts and the current situation in this filed in Palestine.

This is the first visit of statisticians from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics to the BNSI and its outcome is a good basis for further development of bilateral relations between the two institutions.