News

Health tourism will seek for a special government strategy of development in all of its types, including spa, wellness and illness.

Tour operators have unified efforts to draft a memorandum project for that purpose in response to the increased interest toward health tourism options in Bulgaria.

Interview with the mayor of Bansko Mr. Alexandar Kravarov
250,000 skiers and tourists visited the town of Bansko during the winter season, says Mr. Kravarov, the mayor of the town. He was one of the first people to support the construction of the major new ski center

On Monday, the Mayor of Sliven Mr. Yordan Lechkov (and former player at the National Football Team) opened the second golf playground in Bulgaria. The sports center is owned by “Air Sofia” Company, which already runs the first similar playground near the town of Ihtiman.

A second playground has opened doors for the worldwide popular game fans in Bulgaria.

Air Sofia inaugurated its second golf terrain in the country at the town of Sliven, about 200 km east of Sofia and less than 100 km from the Black Coast.

The playground spreads over an area of nearly 5,000 decares, with a 3,800-metre solid fence surrounding the golf complex.

People from UK, Germany and Austria went crazy about buying luxurious properties in Sofia. This information was supplied to “Trud Daily” by local Real Estate Agencies. The apartments’ rush lead to a new rise in the prices and now a sq.m. close to the Doctor’s Garden reached the price of 1400 Euro. A sq.m. of living area in that region of Sofia, which is among the most expensive ones reached the price of 800-1200 Euro/sq.m..
Estate agents explained that the record prices of 1400 Euro/sq.m. are paid for luxury apartments with designer interior, spacious terrace and panoramic views towards Vitosha Mountain. The furnishing includes upholstered furniture, air-conditioning, modern TV set, stereo system and fitted kitchen.

American tour operators are in Bulgaria to explore spa, rural and eco tourism opportunities.

The 15 Americans from eight different companies will stay in Bulgaria until Friday. Veliko Tarnovo, Arbanassi, Sandanski and the Rila Monastery are the places they want to visit.

A strategy for building up golf courses across the country is currently under development.

Bulgaria's Golf Federation sees the project quite promising as foreign tourists, and especially locally residing diplomats are among the most avid golf players.

One third of real estate purchases in Bulgaria are supported with bank credits.

It comes to explain the 70-percent boost in mortgage crediting over the previous year and the currently high interest in mortgages.

According to bank experts, Bulgarian mortgage market has extended ten times since 1997, with continuously diversification of clients' needs. In return banks keep on offering more and more specific credit products.

Currently the banks are strongly competing on the crediting market, trying to out do each other in attractive interest rates and shortened procedure of credit approval.

British investors have shown considerable interest in the Bulgarian real estate market.

UK Daily Telegraph reported that British investors' insatiable appetite for property has led them to hunt for bargains in eastern Europe.

The UK newspaper said that demand for property in the region is growing sharply, particularly in countries such as Croatia, Bulgaria and Turkey.

A rise in small housing rents in Bulgaria has been registered since the beginning of 2004. The interest for renting small flats exceeds the number of available flats on the market and owners feel somehow free to raise the rents. Real estate brokers said there had been a tendency for the price of single room flats to reach the price of one bedroom flats. The price of flats with three and more rooms remained stable in the last six months. Generally, renters are not interested in big flats because of the higher electricity and heating expenditure. The highest interest has been registered for small flats of between 45 sq m and 70 sq m. The monthly rents range between 120 euro and 140 euro in the southern areas of Sofia. Rents in downtown Sofia vary between 200 euro and 250 euro. Rise in small housing rents has been also recorded in the other big Bulgarian cities. Renters in Varna, on the northern Black sea coast, are most interested in finding a flat in the districts near the sea. The average monthly rent for a flat of between 50 sq m and 60 sq m ranges from 150 euro to 200 euro.