Bulgaria is to spend about 300 million leva (about 150 million euro) in European Union funds over the next two years restoring 11 castles and a large number of ancient sites that are popular tourist attractions.
Among the sites where restoration and development work will be done are the museum village of Etura, former capital Pliska, the Madara Horseman cliff carving near the town of Shoumen, Arbanassi, the Assenovgrad fortress, Magura and Ledenika caves and the Belogradchik rocks.
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An enormous new vacation complex is to be build on Bulgaria's Northern Black Sea coast, announced Atanas Stoilov, Mayor of the Municipality of Aksakovo near Varna.
Stoilov told reporters Tuesday, as cited by Darik Radio, that the new resort will be built between the village of General Kantardzhievo and the Albena resort complex on a plot of 300 decares.
In his words, the project first started several years ago when it was initiated by French investors. After one of the investor's...
Sofia has been ranked the most affordable European city for US travelers by TripAdvisor, a travel review website based in Newton.
The firm has based its list on what it calls a TripIndex, which takes into account foreign currency exchange rates, hotel fees, the cost of a pizza, a dry martini, and a taxi ride.
The index shows how much it would cost for an American to spend a day in a particular destination and all destinations are ranked by value.
Sofia has emerged as the cheapest...
Draft legislation approved by the Bulgarian Cabinet on Wednesday is going to allow the Sofia International Airport to determine its own airport fees, a measure that could lead to increase of plane ticket prices.
Sofia Airport will be determining its fees, and will coordinate them with air companies and land operators using its services, the Cabinet-approved legislation stipulates.
At present, the fees of the Bulgarian airports are determined by the Civil Aviation Administration, a...
Bulgaria's touristic branch expects good results 2011, according to Blagoy Ragin, chair of the country's organization of hotel and restaurant owners.
However, this year's mistakes should be seriously analyzed, he told Darik radio, referring to the several fatal accidents which happened in Bulgarian seaside resorts in the peak of the season.
Most recently, a 13-year-old German girl died in Bulgaria's Black Sea resort Golden Sands after she was sucked in by the pump of a hotel swimming...
Some 400 000 British tourists will have visited Bulgaria by the end of 2011, Catherine Barber, current Charge d 'Affairs of Great Britain in the Balkan country' has stated.
Bulgaria is not considered a cheap destination among Brits, Barber has assured, denying statements that her compatriots are mainly attracted to the country by its cheap food and alcohol.
She said many Brits are interested in Bulgaria's cultural legacy, adding that environmental tourism in Bulgaria is gaining momentum....
Cultural and spa activities are considered the most attractive forms of tourism among the foreign tourists in Bulgaria, according to a poll conducted by Synesta Consortium.
In contrast, Bulgarians most frequently visit relatives or travel to the country during their summer breaks, the poll shows.
Foreigners spend between EUR 70 and EUR 90 per day on average in Bulgaria's resorts and usually stay 9-10 days, while locals spend just EUR 19-EUR 25 daily and stay 5-6 days.
Many foreigners...
The number of Bulgarian and foreign tourists, who have visited Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv, has increased significantly.
The data comes from the Tourist Informational Center in downtown Plovdiv, cited by the local daily "Maritsa."
In June 2011, there have been 300 more visitors of the Center, seeking information, compared to June 2010.
In June 2011, people from 44 different countries have visited Plovdiv, mainly from France, the UK, Germany, and the US. They latter have...
The border Strandzha Mountain should become a joint Bulgarian-Turkish project for non-material cultural heritage that should seek UNESCO status, Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov has proposed upon welcoming his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul.
"Both countries are tourist destinations, especially Turkey. We need to try to diversify the tourism opportunities. Spa tourism has a very good potential but I would add cultural tourism, which leads to dialogue between civilizations," Bulgarian...
Bulgaria's Cabinet has voted to turn the defunct military airport near the Black Sea town of Balchik into an active civilian airport serving the nearby sea resorts.
The Borisov government decided Wednesday to transfer the ownership of the Balchik Airport from the Defense Ministry to the Transport Ministry, acting in accordance that Prime Minister Boyko Borisov made in a nearby town, Kavarna, in early June 2011.
The Balchik Airport is located very close to the top resorts on Bulgaria's...
Radisson Blu in Sofia will soon be featuring a renovated commercial zone, announced Colliers International, consultant of the project.
The hotel will offer a variety of prestigious tenants and entertainment opportunities.
The new commercial area will have a total GLA of 1,100 sqm and will offer accessories and health and beauty shops, an expanded Casino, and the much loved Tequila night club, which is to re-open in Radisson Blu.
"I am glad that Colliers secured a variety of prestigious...
Bulgaria's Black Sea resorts expect an even higher number of Romanian tourists in summer 2011, according to hotel managers.
"Figures are already indicating that there will be a substantial growth in the number of Romanian tourists. It is another matter if this boom can compensate for the decrease in the number of tourists from other destinations," Ivan Portnih, CEO of Grand Hotel Varna, is quoted as saying by the Cherno More newspaper.
"The record number of Romanian tourists has its...
The Black Sea could turn in a worldwide attraction for underwater tourism if countries cash on the story that the Biblical Deluge happened in the area, according to Bulgarian archaeologist Petko Dimitrov.
According to Prof. Dimitrov, who is the director of the Underwater Archaeology unit of the Oceanology Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, there are enough findings in the Black Sea's aquatorium to make it an attractive destination for that kind of tourism.
"If the hypothesis...
Bulgaria expects a 10% growth in tourists, according to Deputy Economy Minister in charge of tourism Ivaylo Marinov.
In an interview for the morning broadcast of the Bulgarian National Television (BNT), he predicted a stronger summer season than last year's because of the massive advertising campaign financed with EU funds.
According to the deputy minister, the season will be successful for the hoteliers offering good accommodation and staff.
A working group is about to be set up to...
Some 500 hotel and restaurant owners, taxi drivers and salespeople rallied in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria's largest Black Sea resort, against regulations set by the company managing it.
The protesters demanded the immediate resignations of the management of the shareholder company owning the resort, disgruntled over what they claim are illegitimate fees for services and access to local infrastructure.
The protest was triggered by the increased fees imposed by the management for access to the...
The western Bulgarian city of Kyustendil was voted "Most dynamically Developing SPA destination" at the second edition of the annual "Spa Nominations" ceremony.
The event was held at the Kempinski-Zografski hotel in Sofia.
In 2010, the town of Sandanski was declared "Best SPA destination" in the country, after Velingrad withdrew from the competition in a bid to stimulate other towns famous for their mineral springs.
"This is good news that has not happened for 30 years in Kyustendil",...
Greek investors are considering launching a direct air line between the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv and the Greek town of Kavala on the Aegean Sea coast.
The idea for the Plovdiv-Kavala line has been discussed for several months and was confirmed over the weekend during an aviation show in Kavala, the Maritsa newspaper reported.
By setting up a direct air line, Greek businesspeople are said to be aiming at increasing the number of Bulgarian tourists from Plovdiv.
The Greek project is...
The smell of chocolate chip cookies, a staple of the DoubleTree by Hilton, is already greeting the guests at the brand latest destination - the DoubleTree by Hilton Varna – Golden Sands on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast.
Situated between the ancient, protected forests of Golden Sands National Park and the beautiful Black Sea beaches of the popular Golden Sands Resort, the hotel officially launched the spring and summer season with key business and civic leaders.
"DoubleTree by Hilton is...
Bulgaria is the cheapest summer holiday destination according to a survey of the German automotive union ADAC.
The survey covers 50 resorts in 10 European countries and includes various costs, such as sun protection creams (a price range of EUR 4.80- EUR 25 at the French Atlantic coast), beach chaise longues (EUR 2 in Croatia, EUR 20 in Italian resort Cesenatico), etc.
According to ADAC data, Bulgaria charges the cheapest for a consumer basket of 34 products and services for a family with...
One of Bulgaria's leading Black Sea resorts Albena attracted 221 000 tourists in the summer of 2011.
The number of night stays in 2010 grew by 11% year-on-year, while the average occupancy rate of the resort located 30 km north of Varna and 500 km east of Sofia, increased from 76% to 79%.
According to the annual report of Albena about the company's work in 2010, it registered revenues amounting to BGN 77.131 M.
The 2010 profit was BGN 9.337 M. The report for 2010 will be presented to...
DoubleTree by Hilton Varna-Golden Sands, the first global hotel brand to enter Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, has officially opened its doors to guests just as the summer season kicks off.
"We hope that this first DoubleTree by Hilton hotel open and welcoming guests in Bulgaria will lead to continued and fast-growing popularity of our upscale, full-service hotel offerings across the region and around the world," Rob Palleschi, global head, DoubleTree by Hilton, said at a press conference in...
Bulgaria's national resorts will be declared "settlements with particular status" with unified urban planning and management.
The information was reported by the daily Standard, citing Deputy Minister in charge of Tourism, Ivo Marinov.
These settlements will include the beach resorts of "Sunny Beach," "Albena," "Golden Sands," Dunes," and the winter ones of "Borovets," "Bansko," and "Pamporovo," among others.
Currently, ownership of the infrastructure varies from resort to...