Greek merchants and businessmen are flocking to Bulgarian language classes, the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR, reports Saturday.

People from northern Greece are learning Bulgarian and the Cyrillic alphabet in a heated competition with hotel and restaurant owners in Bulgaria's southern resorts to attract more customers.

Bulgarian and Turkish language classes are the latest hit in the Greek border area where fluency in these languages and computer literacy are basic prerequisites for finding a job as a store clerk, waiter, or hotel staff.

The new border cross-points and lower prices in Bulgaria have been attracting more and more visitors from Greece, prompting Greek businessmen to look for innovative tactics.

In addition to them, the Bulgarian language classes are popular among Greek merchants who own stores in Bulgaria.