Bulgaria Emerges as A new Tourist Destination

Bulgaria is emerging as a rapidly growing year-round tourist destination for British holidaymakers, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Economy. The government in Sofia is keen to celebrate this progress as Bulgaria is on the list of countries applying for membership of the European Union in the next round of accession.

Leisure and recreation arrivals from the United Kingdom in the first half of the year numbered over 100,000, which represents a growth of 66 percent compared with the first half of 2003. Greece tops the list of foreign tourists with over 339,000 in the same period, an increase of 54 percent compared with last year.

The statistics reflect the success of marketing initiatives by the former Communist bloc country and have been helped by consumers’ drive to find cheap alternative destinations to popular holiday regions such as Spain, France and Italy.

Some of the big tour operators in Britain and western Europe have been promoting Bulgaria in package holiday brochures, including TUI, the parent company of Thomas Cook.  Chief executive of TUI Northern Europe, Peter Rothwell, said, “The impact of the strengthening Euro has driven up prices and consequently bookings to Spain have slowed. The non-Euro zone countries, particularly the eastern Med are enjoying a growth in bookings.â€

Some 70 percent of the tourist flow is concentrated on the Bulgarian Black-sea coast. About 60 per cent of the country’s bed capacity is located in the seaside tourist complexes. The resorts offer surfing, water ski, diving, fishing and underwater archaeology, and a range of aquatic sports.

The ports of Balchik, Varna, Nessebar, and Bourgas offer opportunities for yachting with modernised services. Inland routes have been devised for pedestrian, biking and horseback tourism, photo- and eco-tourism, visiting natural, archaeological and cultural landmarks.

Bulgaria is richly endowed with natural mineral water springs, which have been the more traditional base for tourism. The country has 102 officially declared balneology, mud-healing, and climatic resorts, of which 34 of national importance and 68 of local importance.

Winter sport resorts have also seen a resurgence in Bulgaria. The Pamporovo, the Borovets, the Bansko and the Aleko resorts have year-round accommodation and a winter sports infrastructure, including lifts, Alpine skiing and cross-country ski runs are undergoing renovation and development. In response to modern demand new ski tourism centres are also being established.

Bulgaria also offers year-round cultural tourism and archaeology exploration. There are 30,000 historic monuments, seven of which are included in the UNESCO list of world heritage sites, 36 culture reserves, 160 monasteries, 330 museums and galleries.

Archaeologists claim that the region has been inhabited ever since Thracian times. The recently excavated Perperek complex is thought to be the Holy City of the Thracians dating back to the third century BC. The unique Thracian tomb in the village of Sveshtari, included in the UNESCO world heritage list, is remarkable for its statues and the well-preserved colourful decorations. It has been opened for tourist visits with the assistance of the British-based Hedley Trust.

Arts lovers can enjoy a rich folklore calendar, including traditional festivals and customs, related to the Bulgarian way of life and culture.

Since the fall of Soviet-style Communism, private enterprise has had a positive impact and today Bulgaria is proud of its hotels and restaurants that meet the modern world standard, and the country has developed an extensive network of air, road and train services. The European Commission has reported that the former communist-bloc nation is making good progress towards qualifying for membership of the European Union.

By David Browne
LONDON (eTurbo News)

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August 27, 2004   Posted in: Bulgaria