Destination management organizations (DMOs) are well-established management structures in the international tourism practice. In Bulgaria’s legislation, they are defined as organizations for tourism region management (OTRMs). The aim of this paper is to outline the expected trends and the possible challenges for the development of the organizations for tourism region management in Bulgaria. The research is based on methods such as system approach, deduction, induction, questionnaire-based surveys, etc. The main findings of the survey are as follows: there are 7 OTRMs listed in the registry of the Ministry of Tourism and two of the tourism regions have not yet registered such organizations; many people employed in the sector of tourism are still not aware of the functions of these OTRMs; the OTRMs are essential for development and promotion of regional and a national tourism products. The overall conclusion is that OTRMs and their functions are still not well-established in Bulgaria although they could be a key factor for a successful repositioning of the country as a tourism destination, development of competitive tourism products, and sustainable development of tourism.

The idea of sustainable development of tourism is among the most significant trends in this sector globally. In Bulgaria, it is included in the National Strategy for Sustainable Development of Tourism in the Republic of Bulgaria. In the current economic, health and social situation, interest in the sustainable development of destination Bulgaria has strengthened. The current situation creates conditions to update and improve the product portfolio of destination Bulgaria, focusing efforts on using the possibilities of alternative forms of tourism, which find their interpretation in the tourist regionalization of the country and the formation of tourist routes with specialized destinations. The research aims to confirm the possibility of sustainable development of destination Bulgaria through the use of products related to alternative forms of tourism. The study object is the tourism destination Bulgaria’s sustainable development. For the needs of the research, standard scientific methods are used. The stated research tasks support the thesis that the use of specialized forms of tourism in the formation of the product portfolio of destination Bulgaria can contribute to its sustainable development. As a result, the need to use the potential of destination management organizations and the importance of sustainability certification systems is confirmed.