9 Million Tourists Had Vacations in Bulgaria in 2010

Almost 9 million tourists were registered in Bulgaria in 2010, according to data of the National Tourism Board, an association of the tourism industry, which had a conference in Sofia Wednesday.

The National Tourism Board conference was attended by Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, who promised government support for key tourist infrastructure projects.

The tourism industry data presented at the conference says that Bulgaria saw a 5% increase in bed occupancy in 2010 year on year, with the total bed occupancy reaching 30%.

“We are regaining our positions from before the economic crisis. What is more, for 2011 we expect even better results, and about the same number of tourists,” stated Rumen Draganov, head of the Institute for Analysis and Estimates in Tourism. The Board data suggests that in spite of the crisis, Bulgaria‘s tourism revenues are on the increase.

Bulgaria‘s government will invest a total of BGN 42 M in advertising the country as a tourist destination in 2011, Bulgaria‘s Finance Minister Djankov said. Djankov vowed an emphasis on cultural tourism.

Promoting Bulgaria Abroad

Major TV Channels Air Reportages on Bulgaria Tourism

The major TV channels National Geographic, Eurosport and Euronews is sending TV crews to Bulgaria to shoot reportages on tourism in the country.

The visit of the international journalists is organized through a project for advertising the tourism industry in the country and is financed by the Operational Program “regional Development.”

The National Geographic crew has already arrived to Bulgaria and is working on reportages on the culture tourism and is filming the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the National Institute of Archaeology and Museum in Sofia, the Nativity of Christ Church in the village of Arbanasi, the Old Town of Plovdiv, the Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak, and the Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex near the city of Gabrovo.

The four reportages will be aired on National Geographic throughout 2011.

So far Eurosport has presented four reportages on the opportunities Bulgaria provide for golf, horse riding, biking and rock climbing.

In January, another Eurosport TV crew will arrive to Bulgaria to work on presenting the ski and snowboard opportunities in the country.

As of September 6, Bulgaria has been advertised as a year-round tourist destination on Euronews, Eurosport, National Geographic Channel and Discovery Channel.

Bulgaria to Lure Tourists with Website in Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew

The Bulgarian government plans to attract tourists from all around the world with an enhanced online catalog.

The project, entitled “Multimedia Catalog of Touristic Objects and Electronic Marketing in Bulgaria“, aims at further developing the already existing website bulgariatravel.org into a multilingual informative web resource, including versions in Spanish, French, Arabic, Japanese and Hebrew.

Until now, the information in bulgariatravel.org was available in Bulgarian, German, English and Russian.

International polls reveal that some 80% of the people who plan a vacation worldwide do a touristic destinations research on the Internet. That is the reason why the Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism puts efforts into further enhancing the website.

The site is going to provide a rich collection of links with diverse information about Bulgaria. As much as 400 text documents, 4000 photos, 50 videos and 50 audio files are going to be included in the future enriched website.

The deadline for the project is December 2011, when bulgariatravel.org will start providing detailed information about the most fascinating destinations in Bulgaria in nine languages.

Lonely Planet: Bulgaria among Top 10 Countries to Visit in 2011

The globally renowned travel guide Lonely Planet’s has ranked Bulgaria fifth among the top 10 countries for 2011.

The first four spots are taken by Albania, Brazil, Cape Verde and Panama, while Vanuatu, Italy, Tanzania, Syria and Japan are behind Bulgaria.

“For those who looked, Bulgaria has always had its moments – in its biggest cities, on its snow-capped peaks and great-value ski fields, on its golden-sand beaches and in ancient Black Sea port towns.  Yet, over the years, with history’s contribution, Bulgaria has got lost amid its more famous neighbors….Whatever happens, will take it in it stride.