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TOURISM IN BULGARIA
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Bulgaria has benefited from a great increase in international exposure as a desirable holiday destination and this has created an increasingly exclusive market. As with most major tourist destinations, visitor numbers vary seasonally. The summer months see the arrival of over 50% of Bulgaria’s annual tourists, compared with only 14% between January and March. Peak time is considered to be between April and October for the coastal areas, while rentals in the ski resorts peak between December and March.
Statistics gathered by the Bulgarian Ministry for the Economy show that in 2004 Bulgaria attracted a far greater number of visitors from the 15 major EU states. For example, tourists numbers from the UK rocketed by over 62% and Irish visitor figures grew by an astonishing 84%! Despite these great figures, there remains a great growth potential in Bulgarian tourism for the coming years. The government drives forward plans for this growth sector as it currently accounts for some 12% of the Bulgarian GDP. The government examines other successful tourism markets of a similar type and uses their example as a way forward, eg. Austria has a high volume of visitors throughout all seasons to its mountain resorts, a trend which Bulgaria is keen to emulate.
According to studies, during the four year period to 2004, the number of foreign tourists visiting Bulgaria increased by almost 50%, with the number of EU originating visitors growing by nearly 90%. A forecast by the World Trade Organisation indicates that by the year 2010, the number of tourists visiting the country will annually exceed 20 million, making Bulgaria one of the world’s greatest emerging tourism markets. This has obvious positive repercussions for property investors.
Traditional Tourism
During the winter months, Borovetz, Bansko, Pamporovo and Vitosha are popular ski resorts. During the summer season Bulgaria welcomes steadily increasing numbers of tourists to its numerous resorts along the Black Sea coast. Popular summer resorts include Sozopol, Nessebur, Golden Sands, Sunny Beach, Albena, St. St. Constantine & Helena and many others. Bulgaria has become an attractive destination because of the quality of service and the affordable prices of accommodations that the country offers.
Bulgaria has enjoyed a substantial growth in income from international tourism over the past decade. Beach resorts are popular with tourists from Germany, Russia and Scandinavia. The ski resorts are a favorite destination for English tourists.
Rural Tourism in Bulgaria
Many Bulgarian villages, which have preserved their traditional appearance and genuine spirit, situated in environmentally clean regions, open their doors with hospitality to those willing to share the preserved rich Bulgarian traditions and folklore, agriculture, delicious and varied local cuisine, preserved old crafts, the forthright human relations.
The perfect places for eco tourism in Bulgaria are the small villages near the city of Sofia, or the villages situated on the numerous mountains like Pirin, Rila, Rhodopes and Vitosha. Bansko is the perfect place for you vacation or the perfect place for your second house. The village is famous far and wide for its authentic folklore. The most frequent visitors usually pay a several hour visit in the picturesque village coming from the nearby ski resort Pamporovo. The number of tourists, however, who would like to spend several days in the village, is constantly increasing. The Razlog valley is a unique nature treasure of Bulgaria, hugging among this country's three most beautiful mountains - Rila, Pirin and the Rhodopes. These are mountain ranges in the south-western part of the country, each one totally different from the rest. If you wish to see trees of 5 centuries of age, this is the place for you. Living in this place are the brown bear, wolf, fox, red deer, roe deer, wild boar, eagle and partridge. Most common for the numerous lakes, rivers and streams in the locality is the mountain trout.
Nowadays these small villages would be the perfect places for your second home in Bulgaria, to live in or to invest in.
History Tourism
Historical tourism is undeveloped in Bulgaria. The country is situated at crossroads linking East and West. It has been home to many civilisations, including the Thracians, Slavs, Romans, Byzantines, Proto-Bulgarians, and Ottomans.
Although the country is rich in historical ruins, museums and monasteries those are not properly advertised and maintained. Some are not tourist-accessible due to poor infrastructure. This underdevelopment is regarded as desirable by some tourists who prefer to experience history first-hand rather than look at artefacts behind glass.
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