Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
infrastructure, continued construction activity
in the resorts producing noise and refuse, the
poor hygiene of some beaches and public
toilets, and the outdated purification of water
and waste treatment. They blame the local
authorities and the withdrawal of the state from
investment in local infrastructure. At the same
time, however, the owners of hotels and res-
taurants and tour operators also lack the will to
enter into joint efforts in an attempt to resolve
such issues (Holiday-Truth.com, 2005). One
recent response has seen the Minister of
Culture and Tourism banning all construction
works in the largest coastal resorts for the dura-
tion of the 2005 summer season. Further, an
additional investment of about
€
35m was
allocated from the national budget in 2005
to improve the road infrastructure. Access to
historic sites will be a priority and signs in
English will be updated.
The existing system of professional educa-
tion for the needs of tourism is outdated.
Higher educational institutions offer theoretical
teaching but little practical implementation: a
particularly weak element is work experience
in companies. The high percentage of seasonal
workers in the industry tends to reduce commit-
ment and the quality of service. This is aggra-
vated by the shortage of qualified and
experienced middle management, especially in
4- and 5-star hotels. High rates of emigration of
young skilled labour appear to exacerbate the
situation. In spite of the unemployment rate of
12-13% of the population in all economic
branches, there are a large number of job
vacancies requiring specific skills and qualifica-
tions. One requirement is for a radical upgrad-
ing of work productivity levels that can
consequently raise employee earning levels.
Security in the resorts has improved, but
prostitution is still a major problem along
the motorway from Sofia, between Slunchev
Briag and Varna, and near the busier frontier
check-points. A niggling problem is the cheat-
ing of tourists by some smaller currency
exchange offices in the resorts. The overall
impression in the larger coastal resorts is of
congestion of the resort centres with dense and
noisy commercial areas with restaurants,
fast-food outlets and shops having little to do
with tourism and the recreational activities in
the resorts.
Bulgarian Tourism in the Context of
EU Enlargement
Patterns of flows
The number of foreign tourists in Bulgaria in the
first eight months of 2004 rose by 18.39% in
comparison with the same period in the previ-
ous year. At the same time the EU15 share of
international arrivals grew by 28% (Republic of
Bulgaria Ministry of Economy, 2005). This sug-
gests that the European Union is the principal
and most promising market for Bulgarian tour-
ism. It remains to be seen if, in the shorter term,
the ten new accession states will be preferred
as tourism destinations for EU tourists at the
expense
of
candidates
Bulgaria,
Romania,
Croatia and Turkey.
Much may depend on the border regime
and regional cooperation. If the EU visa obliga-
tion is waived for Russians and Ukrainians, as
has been promised to President Putin, this will
change the geography of the tourism flows in
the whole continent. Certainly, the Bulgarian
government has withdrawn the visa require-
ment for package tourists from Russia and other
post-Soviet countries and Bosnia at least for
an interim (from the website
www.tourist.ru,
2005). It can be expected that tourists from
Poland and Hungary will return to Bulgarian
resorts as has already happened with Czechs
and Slovaks.
The 2004 EU enlargement is resulting in
both higher salaries in the new member states,
but also higher prices of consumer goods and
services. For several years at least, prices in
Bulgaria will remain significantly lower and this
will attract more tourists and investment, pro-
vided the geopolitical situation does not change.
The seaside hotels in Bulgaria, for example,
offer 30-40% lower prices in comparison with
Spain and Greece, and 20-25% lower than
Turkey, while service quality in establishments
of the same category is now comparable.
Inward investment
A further important issue is the mutual inter-
action between tourism and other socio-
economic sectors. A crucial question is whether
