Government approves another EUR 15 million for the Giro d'Italia start in Bulgaria

The Council of Ministers has approved additional spending of EUR 15 million in the 2026 budget of the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the organisation and staging of the Giro d'Italia Bulgaria Grande Partenza, the government press service announced on 21 October, Sportal and Fakti reported.

Bulgaria hosted the Grande Partenza, the opening stages of the 109th edition of the Tour of Italy, from 8 to 10 May 2026. The route was divided into three stages and passed through cultural centres and natural landmarks across the country.

The new decree was adopted under the Public Finance Act and in connection with an earlier Council of Ministers decision on financing the sports ministry. According to Fakti, the state has approved funding for the race in several stages during the year. In January, EUR 15 million was allocated, mainly for licensing rights and the organisation of the first stages on Bulgarian territory. In February, a further EUR 8.68 million was approved for accompanying activities, logistics and commitments of various state institutions. With the latest EUR 15 million, the total reaches EUR 38.68 million.

Fakti described the race as a large-scale opportunity for international promotion of Bulgaria. It noted, however, that state spending on the event remains a focus of public attention and that the overall balance of costs and benefits for tourism, the country's image and the local economy is still an open question.

For businesses in tourism and hospitality, the value of such events depends on whether the exposure turns into more foreign visitors in the following seasons. No assessment of the event's economic effect has been published so far.

The Giro funding decision comes as the government prepares the 2027 budget, in which spending priorities are under close scrutiny after the 2025 deficit reached 4% of GDP.