Traveling is an unstoppable passion that challenges you again and again

Introduce yourself in a few words..

My name is Plamen Todorov, I was born and live in the city of "100 first things", the city of Aleko Konstantinov - the city of Svishtov. And this may not be a coincidence. A traveler by soul in both a figurative and literal sense. A soul that was born to travel, to discover new horizons, to communicate with new cultures, and always wants more and more. And I have nothing left but to follow the feat of the soul. Perhaps that is why I am such a passionate traveler. Even when I am not physically traveling, not crossing borders and airspaces, I am still traveling through memories, video clips, discussions with various friends from different countries, organizing and reading about the next Journey.

For you, traveling around the world is?

For me, traveling is an unstoppable passion that challenges you again and again. And it is always so when passion is leading, you start to challenge yourself, to organize longer and more complex travels, to sometimes step out of your comfort zone. Traveling is not just crossing borders and reaching a destination. It is a journey towards discovery, sharing, getting to know other cultures and horizons, and getting to know yourself, discovering hidden particles and possibilities that are within you.

How many different countries have you seen so far? Tell us an interesting story or highlights from your travels?

I can't say exactly how many countries I have visited so far, but I am approaching 130 places and I want to visit a few more times that many. I always have interesting stories during every trip, funny and dangerous, but I can't recall the details at the moment.

Do you like to repeat destinations? Give examples and motivation "for" or "against"?

Of course, I love to repeat destinations. I can't return to all the places I have visited again. But if I have the opportunity, I would go back to every corner I have been to before. There will always be something new to learn, something new to experience, something new to try. Some places I want to visit even just for the wealth of flavors and aromas of the food, for the warm and smiling people.

What was your first trip that truly changed you as a professional and can be said to have changed your thinking?

As I said, every trip gives you something, naturally you give as well. For the first time, I traveled alone when I went on a brigade as a student. These were years when traveling was not so common and it was still a bit more difficult to travel abroad. I lived independently for several years in Birmingham, England. At 22, I was doing quite well. I was doing well at work, I even managed to attract friends from Bulgaria to me in England. I became friends with many Indians in the factory where I worked. I grew fond of their cuisine and their attitude towards life. I can even boldly say that this, although unconsciously, influenced me to be more curious about foreign cultures. Interestingly, I met my wife again during one of my trips to Paris. She had also been on a trip to Paris and so our paths crossed for better or worse. So, for me, traveling I can boldly say, changed my life. Now, 20 years later, after so many places visited, I dared, together with my partner Emilia Milusheva, to create a travel agency "Travel Masters", with which we allow everyone to experience, share, and gift themselves wonderful emotions and memories. This is also our motto "Emotions by necessity".

Have you met people or ideas during your travels that have influenced your career Vand path?

I would lie, if I said no. I have met people who inspire me, people with whom we exchange ideas, people with whom we share the same passion. But again, I say, I started to travel, not because I wanted to find a way to make money, but because it was my passion.

Do you think that your travels help you expand your professional network? How?

It is interesting, that whenever I have traveled, I have met people with whom we later become friends, exchange contacts. We share emotions and experiences for a short time. Over time, with many of them, we exchange experiences, consult each other. Even to this day, when we created the agency, many of them became my partners.

What skills do you develop the most when you travel,and how do they reflect on your work Vand?

My main business is not related to Traveling, although now that I think about it, even it requires traveling. Traveling is already a part of our life - an hour's drive or a ten-hour flight, we all travel now, we travel through time. I don't think that you acquire any special skills when you travel. The skills you have and that help you in a normal movement from one point to another, you need in life as well. Not skills, but challenges are more, you learn more about yourself and the situations you can solve. I always organize my travels independently and the challenges are indeed huge. However, I know that I can handle any challenge and I have always succeeded. But if I have to be specific, you need to have good discipline, organization, observance, to be combative and the ability to easily connect with people. Always and wherever you decide to go, have an open heart and no expectations.

Is there any city or country that has Vand inspired you to start a new business or project?

When you travel a lot, you can't help but be enchanted by some cities and policies of countries. You can't miss the innovative approaches to solving various problems in some countries. Their view of development in the future and the futuristic appearance. Of course, there are also countries that preserve their authenticity, their nature and culture, which is again inspiring. There are also such countries, which have wonderful natural resources, but are either plundered or do not value the natural wealth.

I can't help but note that my favorites are Dubai and Singapore. You might say, who hasn't been to Dubai already. But for me, Dubai is truly an inspiration. I have visited it so many times and would visit it again and again. Why? I first visited Dubai in 2007 and was enchanted by the efforts and visionary approach to building the new vision of Dubai. I won't surprise anyone that both favorite places were poor fishing ports. In Dubai, the main livelihood was fishing, diving for pearls, and building boats. A key role for Dubai is played by the visionary Maktoum Bin Buti, who declares Dubai's independence and leaves his mark forever in the history of its development. Gradually, from a small fishing village, Dubai becomes the pearl of the Arab world. Ambitious construction and social projects have turned Dubai into one of the most futuristic cities in the world in half a century. The fate of Singapore is similar. Here, however, the hero is Lee Kuan Yew, winning Singapore's independence from Malaysia. Besides being an innovative city, Singapore has also earned one of the top places for a green city. You can see extensive parks, gardens, nature reserves, and already quite large projects with vertical greening. The commitment to sustainable development is visible everywhere. It is always inspiring when I return to these places because you can see how leadership and vision allow for the creation of wonders.

When you are in an unfamiliar country, do you feel more motivated or more distracted? Why?

When you travel and everything is in your hands, every hour and flight is in the schedule of the plan for the Journey, you can't afford to be distracted. Of course, there are moments when you give yourself totally to the place you have chosen to be. You leave time for resetting the clock and the new challenges that grab you from the moment the stewards say to unbuckle your seatbelt. But the interesting thing is that the countries I visit I do not perceive as something unfamiliar, distant. Every country I visit is like a piece, a corner of something whole, waiting to be experienced.

How do you manage the balance between work and pleasure when you travel?

I am still struggling to learn to ensure a balance between work, family, and travel. I am grateful, however, that I live in times when technology has advanced quite far and this is a sure step on the path to ensuring balance. The crisis period with Covid opened the gates with much greater momentum for online trade, business, communication. Many people took advantage of the lesson "In a crisis, be aware of the danger, but recognize the opportunity". Thus, I learned to work and manage my business remotely, to establish online connections with partners. Distance is no longer a problem. Sometimes the time difference remains a challenge, but this problem has also been solved. The partners I work with know that I travel and they have gotten used to my later calls due to the time difference.

How have travels changed the way you perceive the value of money?

An interesting question, to which I find it difficult to answer. I said earlier, when something is a passion, it is not valued in money. Naturally, money is a necessity, without it I wouldn't be able to afford to travel to these fairy-tale places. The more I travel, the more I realize that the most beautiful things have no price, you can't buy them, they are just there and inspire you, delight you, and you are grateful to have seen them in this life. But in this line of thought, I am grateful that I have the opportunity to pursue my passion.

According to V, is it better to spend on experiences rather than material possessions?

The experienced, the memory, the smile, the beautiful sunset, the emotion from what you have seen, shared, the aromatic food, I don't need to list more. These are things that  can cost a lot or nothing. Material possessions are not a bad thing, but for me, unless it is an investment, I would prefer an investment in experiences.

Are there specific countries that are more favorable for work and investments?

Countries, where there is not much corruption and are focused on sustainable development are always favorable countries for investment. For me, leading positions are Dubai and Singapore. Others include Australia, Qatar, Oman.

What are the destinations that you would definitely recommend to be visited and why?

Every corner, of our mother planet is worth seeing. Truly fairy-tale places are French Polynesia, with its rich marine life and clear waters, beautiful lagoons, beaches, and pristine nature. Australia, Costa Rica, and Brazil with their diverse flora and fauna, beautiful beaches, and wild jungle.

What is the career advice you would give based on what you have seen around the world?

For career advice, I am not very competent, but I would allow myself to say that the strength of each is in their identity, belonging. We travel to see, to touch, to take from exactly that which is identical to every little place. And the more consciously preserved, developing it is, the more valuable it is. So, my advice is for everyone to pursue their passion, to keep their identity, and at the same time to unfold and grow.