Ivan Vatahov
THE growth of Bulgaria’s tourism industry is expected to slow in the next three to four years, according to independent analytical organisation Industry Watch.


The country registered a growth of more than 13.5 per cent in foreign holidaymakers in 2004.


Addressing the annual conference of the National Hotel Management Club on October 13, Georgi Stoev of Industry Watch said that Bulgarian tourism faced two prospects in the near future. The sector needs a cheap labour force to maintain its competitiveness. On the other hand, it is expected that wages in Bulgaria will increase and standards of living will improve.


This meant that the tourist sector would resort to cheap labour from abroad, Stoev said. This could happen through the hiring of staff from the Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and other countries, he said.


Industry Watch recommended a reduction in entry barriers in the sector in order to achieve a higher level of competition. This means easing some registration and permission regimes.


However, some sector experts think that even a 10 per cent growth in the next few years could be difficult to achieve.


The Culture Ministry’s National Tourism Policy Directorate reported on October 14 that there had been a 6.58 per cent increase in the number of foreign tourists in the first nine months of 2005. A total of 4 049 387 foreign citizens visited Bulgaria during this time.


In September alone, Bulgaria was visited by 536 844 tourists, 8.22 per cent up year-on-year.


In the first nine months of 2005, most tourists came from Germany, 541 089, followed by Greece, 478 296, and Macedonia, 440 035.


Tourists from the UK increased by 36.62 per cent to reach 341 939. The number of tourists from EU countries as a whole grew at a rate of 7.46 per cent, to reach 2 287 317.


If the relatively favourable trend of increase of visiting tourists is maintained, the country is likely to report growth of about seven per cent in tourism for 2005.


In an attempt to improve growth figures by offering more variety of services to foreign tourists, Bulgaria’s first International Exhibition on Spa and Wellness Tourism opened in the city of Plovdiv on October 19. More than 40 companies from nine countries are taking part in the forum.


The exhibition, first of its kind on the Balkans, is co-organised by the National Association of Spa and Wellness Tourism and the International Plovdiv Fair with the support of national flag carrier Bulgaria Air.


Spa tourism is not yet very popular in Bulgaria, although the sector is not seasonal, unlike traditional sea and winter tourism. It has great potential for development in Bulgaria, professionals say.


The best developed spa destinations in Bulgaria, which all have mineral springs, currently are mainly concentrated in the southern and south-western part of the country in towns and villages like Velingrad, Devin, Hissar, Kyustendil and Sandanski.


Bulgarian Spa hotels work at full capacity at weekends, but on workdays the number of clients drops by 50 per cent, hotel owners say. This means that preferential prices should be offered for specific customer groups.

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