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Multifaceted Bulgarian tourism
Sofia Echo Com, 05.11.2004
THE past week brought the news that tourism revenues have boosted the economy of Bulgaria with the current account deficit falling to 2.8 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the first eight months of 2004 from 4.3 per cent a year earlier. It was not big news however, as no one in this country had any doubts that the good tourist season had brought in larger revenue. Just as the news that Bulgarians, who are working abroad contributed to the improving financial account, as there was a fifty percent year-on-year rise in net current transfers, which also helped to narrow the current account gap. In terms of foreign interest toward the local tourist industry, and the real estate business closely related to it, new heights were registered too. Bulgaria is an attractive region for Irish investors in real estate, the Irish newspaper Sunday Business Post reported. As long as the country is a flourishing place for ski tourism, the newspaper emphasised on the significance of skiing pearls like Borovets, Pamporovo and Bansko. It also underscored that along with the above mentioned resorts, there are more or less unknown places in the Rila, Pirin, Rhodope and Vitosha mountains, which are to develop into attractive ski centres. Infrastructure development in such places has turned Bulgaria into an attractive place for inward investment, especially for skiers. Speaking of Bansko, the resort will be presented at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London between November 8 and 11 this year. A special English-language edition of the "Tourism and Recreation" magazine will cover the local landmarks, the advantages of the skiing season in Pirin and the various summer holiday options. This is the only magazine that is circulated to the press centres of 15 international travel exhibitions, including the forthcoming WTM in London. A special promotional brochure in English on the winter resort is expected to be printed in a circulation of 10 000 in time to reach London for the opening of the travel venue. The local tour operators and municipal officials said that Bansko's ski area has already been successfully presented at this season's first Rhodopes Travel Market that took place in Smolyan under the motto "Bulgaria's Mountains: Four-Season Hospitality". Beaches and ski slopes are not the only hope for Bulgaria and a reminder to this effect came from two directions in the past week. Bulgarian International Plovdiv Fair operator posted 2.3 million leva profit for January to September 2004, up from 1.05 million leva for the same period in 2003. Announcing the positive data, the fair's executive director Yordan Radev reaffirmed Bulgaria's potential to develop congressional tourism. Plovdiv Fair had joined the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), based in Amsterdam. ICCA has 600 members from 80 states. Bulgaria is represented in ICCA through the Bulgarian Convention and Visitors Bureau (BCVB), which is the organisation set up to promote Bulgaria as an attractive destination for congress and business tourism. BCVB groups 38 companies operating in the tourism sector - Plovdiv Fair, Sofia Land, Sheraton Sofia Balkan, Hilton Sofia, Kempinski-Zografski and Radisson SAS hotels, Bulgaria Air, Bulgarian Association of Tourist Agencies (BATA) and the National Palace of Culture (NDK). Another face of Bulgarian tourism is hunting, but its appeal has been dampened. Revenues from hunting tourism in Bulgaria are dropping because of the indiscriminate massacre of game by poachers and the increasing number of predators in the woods. This was said by National Forest Administration (NFA) director Ilia Simeonov during a conference on October 27 dedicated to the state of the hunting reserves and the potential for their development. About 1.176 million euro was collected from payments for hunting trophies in 2003, the NFA said. Despite this representing growth of about 14 000 euro compared to the previous year, the state of the hunting tourism is poor, especially given that Bulgaria had revenues of $100 000 to $300 000 from only one of its hunting reserves 15 years ago. The reason for the slump is in the lack of enough funds to maintain and increase the populations of game, as well as the lack of qualified people to handle the hunting stations, Stoilov said. Meanwhile, this year's last charter flight took off from Bourgas on October 30 with 175 foreign passengers on board leaving for Leipzig. This marked the end of a successful summer season and shifted the focus of the industry to the winter resorts. Hopefully, they will add their contribution to the flourishing of the sector, which is destined to shape the future of Bulgaria. see source
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