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how to sell Bulgaria by Andrew Eames T
his increasingly popular Eastern European country has in recent years taken big
strides to attract tourists by offering mainstream holidays at lower prices than several competitiors.
A recent Post Offi ce Travel Money survey found that once again the resort of Sunny Beach was the cheapest summer holiday destination in Europe, and Bansko the cheapest ski resort in Europe. But Bulgaria is increasingly keen to attract tourists with its other credentials: cultural and historical attractions inland, golf, ecotourism products and spas.
Why sell it
You should hear a lot more about Bulgaria in 2015. A political restructuring means that the Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism was recently reformed as a self-standing ministry. It is planning a public procurement procedure in early 2015 for a marketing campaign in the UK: press trips, fam trips, special events and Bulgarian wine presentations, TV, online and print advertising, etc. Meanwhile principle operator Balkan Holidays is running a campaign in conjunction
Tsaravets Fortress in Veliko Tarnovo
with travel agents, offering £25 off per adult (provided the booking is via an agent) for package holidays up to July 15 2015. Most 2015 prices have been pegged at 2014 levels.
Who to sell to
Suggest to customers who are looking for good value, particularly price-aware families with children. There’s teenage interest in the livelier bigger resorts during the summer months, whilst the mature market tends to dominate the shoulder seasons. Inland, there’s good hiking and strong archaeological sites. The capital, Sofi a, has become a fl ourishing stag party destination. The region north of Varna is becoming better known as a top destination for golfers.
What to sell Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofi a Bulgaria essentials
TIME ZONE: GMT + 2 hours VISAS: not required CAPITAL CITY: Sofia LANGUAGE: Bulgarian CURRENCY: Lev (1 Lev = 41 pence) SEE:
bulgariatravel.org
BOOK IT: Balkan Holidays offers seven nights B&B in the two star Hotel Arda in Sunny Beach, starting from £259pp for departures in September 2015. The deal includes flights from Gatwick to Bourgas and local transfers.
balkanholidays.co.uk
OTHER OPERATORS:
firstchoice.co.uk inthesaddle.com exodus.co.uk golfbreaks.com GETTING THERE:
air.bg;
wizzair.com;
ryanair.com;
easyjet.com
The Black Sea coast has a more mellow climate than the Mediterranean and key airports at Varna and Bourgas have short transfer times to resorts. The beaches are shallow and
relatively wave free, and the sea is less salty than elsewhere. There’s an active nightlife scene at key resorts Sunny Beach (near Bourgas) and Golden Sands (near Varna). City breaks in Sofi a and Plovdiv (ranked
by Lonely Planet as the sixth hottest destination in the world in 2015) are gaining traction. Big inland attractions are the Rila monastery and Rhodope mountains, and the beautiful old town of Velika Turnovo.
When to sell
The ski season runs until early April. The Black Sea beach season runs from June to the end of September. Both tend to be based on charter fl ights. City breaks to Sofi a and ‘second city’ Plovdiv are year round, and based on scheduled airlines.
What’s new
There are new motorways under construction, with ‘Trakia’ (Sofi a to Bourgas) already complete and ‘Hemus’ (to Varna) nearly so. There are now three golf courses between the towns of Kavarna and Balchik, north of Varna, and the course at Thracian Cliffs has become a member of the Leading Golf Courses in Europe. New hotels include the Sana Park, on
the coast in Constantine north of Varna. The property hopes to win its spurs as a year-round spa and wellness centre. Specialist operator In the Saddle (
inthesaddle.com) is offering riding holidays in Bulgaria for the fi rst time.
sellingtravel.co.uk
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