Lodges in Bulgaria's ski resorts are already filling up for the upcoming winter season, giving hope that the sector will see the first signs of recovery after two bleak years.

Hoteliers estimates show some 110.000 tourists are expected to visit Bulgaria's winter resorts, up by 20.000 compared to the same time last year.

Entrepreneurs pin their hopes on the Russian, Serbian, Macedonian and Bulgarian tourists, who remain their main target group.

Experts also hope that foreign tourists will be shifting to Bulgaria as Greek travel attractions are shutting down.

Summer tourism has been dominant in Bulgaria over the last fifty years and some say that ski tourism - which now accounts for no more than 15% of the annual revenues in the sector - should speed up and catch up.

Bulgarian mountains however just do not have the resources to compete with those in Europe, Northern and Southern America.

Global warming aggravates the situation and puts into question even the four months of skiing season.

Investors in their turn are tempted to head for the highest of peaks, encroaching into the five percent of protected areas in Bulgaria.