News

  What is the standard of the most popular Bulgarian resorts as regards organization, conditions and prices? What could make foreign tourists give their preference to Bansko and Borovets and what would prevent them from coming here again.
Two hundred and ten journalists from 32 countries who took part in the 52nd World Ski Championship for Journalists held in Bansko answered these questions.
All the participants in Bansko 2006 had the opportunity to get closely acquainted with Bulgaria's most chic ski resort. They spent a day in Bulgaria's leading mountain resort Borovets, too.

The north zone will be competing with Nessebar, Sozopol, with new Riviera

 A completely new town will spring up in the next 1-2 years nearby Tsarevo. It will surround the famous Popski bay. The magnificent view and marvellous sea will provide good atmosphere for 25 thousand people. According to the plans of the enterprisers this will be the number of beds in the buildings which are about to be constructed.
The resort town is the newest on the southern Black sea coast and will be in the Northern zone of Tsarevo.
At the moment the site is occupied with old ruined bungalows and departmental vacation complexes.

Several new tourism complexes connected with modern infrastructure, connected with modern infrastructure, announced the mayor of Tsarevo - Petko Arnaudov.
A luxurious complex with the exotic name- “The Crocodile Coast” will be the major attraction of the site. It will bear that name as it will be situated on the Popski bay which has the shape of a crocodile head.
On a total area of 62 decares on the solitude plateau scores of villas, a five star complex, 12 swimming pools with glass bottoms, will be constructed. Investors are Russian companies.
On the top of two of the buildings will be contracted a disco complexes.

  Tour-operators expect a growth of 8% in 2007 if Bulgaria's parliament decides to keep the 7% VAT on tourism. The number of the holiday-makers in Bulgaria was by 4.5% higher in 2005. The revenues from international tourism amount to 1.88 billion euros, while the positive balance of tourism exceeded 1 billion euros for the first time.
  In 2007, the revenues may be increased by additional 10% in case the 7% VAT is preserved, experts from the branch forecast.

  With icy streams gurgling through lush tree-covered mountains, it’s easy to see why Ivan Rilski chose the Rila mountains to lead his hermetic life.
  Our accommodation was a notch up from Rilski’s cave, but only just. Organised as ever, we had completely failed to book anything in advance and first decided to try our luck at the Zodiak campsite where we were greeted with what sounded like a German take on traditional Bulgarian music, a strange mixture of a manic clarinet being played over an um-pa-pa beat. It was a hit with campsite’s residents, who were already on the dance floor, arms linked, legs flailing every which way giving the impression of a drunken millipede. I think we were all relieved to find that the bungalows were fully booked.
  The Bor Campsite proved to be a much more peaceful option. Friends and families sat around, reading and lazing in the afternoon sun. The huts were basic, their green paint peeling, and their beds sagging, but the sheets were clean, the sun shining and the fresh mountain air tinged with the smoke of camp fires was invigorating. After paying the grand sum of 10 leva for a hut for the night we enjoyed a beer at the outdoor cafe, feeling very rustic, sitting by a wood-fuelled stove, on stools made from tree trunks.

“Berkovitsa Balkan” project – a good opportunity for sport and tourism
*with the kind cooperation of Berkovitsa municipal

The highest peak in Berkovitsa Mountain – Kom /2016/, offers the best conditions for alpine skiing in the western part of Stara Planina. The region has good prerequisites for development of a mountain, climatic and tourism resort of local and national significance.

The sport tourism area is situated in the Berkovitsa part of Stara Planina, over 900 meters and up to 1940 meters above the sea level. Its natural development spreads along the region from Kom peak to Berkovitsa and Barzaya village.
The relief is various and is positioned to the north and north east, with an average inclination of 10 and 50%. The snow cover lasts at least 4 months.
The now existing piste is 800 meters and is serviced by two ski drags.

 Bulgaria's EU accession on January 1 won't send up the cost of the ski lift passes, a poll of Standart shows. Bulgaria's four big winter resorts, Bansko, Borovets, Pamporovo and Vitosha, announced that this winter they won't increase the prices of ski services. Bansko and Pamporovo keep their tradition and preserve the preferential prices for the Bulgarian tourists who are considered regular guests.

Bansko uses 75 snow cannons to fight the global warming effect. This beautiful winter resort is an undoubted frontrunner when it comes to the variety of services and their cost. The swanky resort is the only in Bulgaria which offers 65 kilometers of ski runs.

This season Pamporovo resort has included the price of the insurance in the cost of the ski-lift passes. The skiers can enjoy 22 kilometers of ski runs maintained with the help of five snow-making machines. Lyubomir Stankiisky, head of the resort's ski school, has supervised in person the implementation of safety measures and the cleaning of the ski runs.

 The head of the state Agency for Tourism (AT), Mario al-Djebouri, requested on December 7 that the AT take control over issuing construction permits in resorts. Al-Djebouri believed the move could help control the construction boom in the resorts.

 Responsibility for construction in resorts has to be focused in one place, said al Djebouri on private-channel bTV. At present, the Regional Development and Public Works Ministry, the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, the Environment and Water Affairs Ministry, and municipal administrations each play a role in permitting. But none of those institutions exercise responsibility development, al-Djebouri said.

 By the end of 2006, AT will present its new strategy for promotion of Bulgaria as a tourism destination. The new strategy will emphasise new spa, golf and cultural tourism. For these purposes, AT's 2007 budget was doubled to 13 million leva.

 Data from the National Statistical Institute shows that tourism generates 12.5 per cent of Bulgaria's GDP, including nine per cent from international tourism. A total of 170 000 people are currently directly employed in Bulgaria's tourism sector, but together with the accompanying sectors their numbers reached 300 000 peoplе.  

 The mostly frequented mountain of the two-million-large Bulgarian capital Sofia is attractive during any season with two wildlife reserves, three climatic zones, highest peak Cherni Vruh, varied flora and fauna, curative mineral springs and a rare natural phenomenon - а Moraines-bed.

Vitosha is a popular mountain resort for winter holidays and skiing, with modern hotels and ski facilities.

In the over-one-century history of the city Vitosha has become a symbol of Sofia, benefiting it with a rare natural advantage shared by few big cities globally.

On the peak itself, Cherni Vrah (2,290m) besides the meteorological station and the base of the Mountain Rescue Brigade, there is a tourist station where one can find shelter in bad weather.

It is the cradle of hiking tourism in Bulgaria with the date August 27, 1895 considered to be the beginning of the organized tourist movement in the country. Upon the invitation of the renowned writer and democrat Aleko Konstantinov 300 men and women then climbed the peak - something incredible and unbelievable for the time.

 Sun, snow, ski, snowboard and many emotions – that’s how the new skiing season in Bansko was officially opened on 16. December 2006. The event gathered a great number of ski lovers from Bansko, Bulgaria and foreign countries. Special guests were the ski legend Mark Ghirardelli, his young virtuos colleague Rainer Herbs and the minister of Economy end Energetic of Bulgaria Mr. Rouemen Ovcharov. The three of them showed great skiing skills on the slopes.

The program was well organized, and the shining sun exhilarated the visitors of the ski resort. The official opening took place on the Shiligarnika site in 12 o’clock, where ski and snowboard instructors demonstrated different techniques for riding, suitable for both beginners and advanced skiers. The group for synchronize riding, which entertained the public with perfect downhill following the tact of the music and formation of complicated figures.     

   A number of small villages in the Smolyan region will offer additional accommodation to meet the tourist interest during the Christmas holidays.

Most of the villages along Arda River will offer extra accommodation. The total number of hotels in the region is to reach 38, Focus news agency reported.

All of the houses and hotels in the villages will offer different tourism attractions and have already been booked for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
            During the winter season Mogilitsa and Arda villages will offer ski opportunities. The two make use of small ski tracks located nearby. Prices for facility usage will be minimal, municipal representatives said.

One of the main ways to develop further tourism opportunities in the region was the setting up of proper infrastructure, representatives from the villages said. The villages were gaining popularity as a destination, Focus reported.

Darik Radio reported that Bulgarian winter resorts were going to attract foreign tourists mainly from Greece, Serbia and Macedonia. The number of visits from Russia, the UK and Denmark was also expected to go up.