16.11.2007 Between Two Tourist Seasons – Results and Projections

investor.bg, 16th November 2007, with excerpts

According to the data so far for the first nine months of 2007 Bulgaria was visited by over 4.58 million foreign tourists, i.e. the increase compared to the same period last year being about 7.4%. From them about three quarters are EU citizens as the increase in this group is 30% on an annual basis. The highest percentage of tourists came from neighboring Romania (over 600,000 but this includes the ‘suitcase trading’), Germany (about 562,000), Greece (about 558,000), the UK (about 404,000) and Russia (over 226,000).
On the eve of the winter tourist season those working in the sector report the not yet final results of the income and the number of tourists who visited Bulgaria during the summer season, as preliminary information about the annual growth of tourism is also provided. The Chairman of the Bulgarian Tourist Chamber Professor Tsvetan Tonchev projected that the income from the tourist sector for 2007 will exceed 2.2 billion euro as the net income will amount to about 1.3 billion euro.
The summer tourist season went well but it was somewhat ‘overshadowed’ by the ongoing construction of hotels along the Black Sea Coast despite the official bans. If there is anything positive in this fact it is that most of the hotels built lately are four- and five-star. However, everyone admits that the overconstruction along the Black Sea is one of the main problems of tourism.
The other serious issue is related to the condition of the infrastructure – both in the complexes and of the roads leading to them. It was not accidental that this summer some resorts experienced problems with water supply, brief as they were. But for those foreigners who spent a week or two in Bulgaria this problem might be crucial as they may decide not to visit our resorts next year.
One of the main goals of the Bulgarian tourist sector in the next few years will be to attract more affluent tourists and to develop the products (types of tourism and services) that are appealing to this tourist segment. The high category hotels (of which we have enough) with the proper servicing in them (which is not always up to standard) are only a small part of the issue. Lately, the purchasing of hotel apartments has become a popular investment in the US, and already in Bulgaria. They are used by the owners (and their relatives) only about 1-2 months a year and during the rest of the time the hotel owner may use the hotel room as such – which is profitable for both owners. According to the most recent information about 10,000 hotel apartments have already been bought by foreigners in Bulgaria.
As for the share of the various types of tourism and the respective income from them experts are explicit that sea tourism will remain the leading type as in the next few years its share in the total income of the sector will remain about 75%. Winter tourism is also developing with a good pace having in mind the fact that the number of beds in our winter resorts has increased by 15% compared to the previous season and that new lifts were built in Pamporovo and Chepelare.
However, when speaking of income and number of tourists there is huge potential (besides golf, hunting and yachting tourism) in balneology, as well as in cultural tourism.

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