Summer tourism revenues declined by 12 to 30%

„10-15% decrease 20% decrease 30% decrease. Such were the prevailing estimates of the hoteliers and tour operators for the number of tourists shortly before the start of the summer season. There were a number of optimists who expect the season to move around last year’s levels, and opposing views on the exclusive collapse, bankruptcies, sales and even the overthrow of hotels. Now, when the strongest months for maritime tourism in Bulgaria over, most industry representatives acknowledge that the season was very tense and tourism loses. Expectations are that next year will be easier than this. The decline in revenue outpaced that of tourists „The crisis definitely felt this year there were less tourists,“ said President of the Association of Owners in Sunny Beach Elena Ivanova. Information on its hotel guests were 10-12% less compared to summer ’08, and earnings from tourism fell by more than 30%. The picture is different in the other major resort on the Black Sea coast – Golden Sands. „In general, the decline of tourists is within 10-15%, but the decrease in revenues is larger, around 20-25 per cent, summarized President of the Union of Owners of Golden Sands George Shterev. About 12% drop in the number of tourists, and reported revenues of Albena. „The season was weak given the situation, but not extremely weak, as predicted some colleagues,“ said a representative of a tour operator TUI Bulgaria Valentin Yosifov. Information on his most seriously diminished tourists from Britain and the Scandinavian countries – with more than 30%. Germany’s market, from which come most tourists in the country also registered a decline. „Optimism that will offset the gradual reduction in the German market is not true, as competitors have increased,“ said Yosifov (see text below). The situation is relatively better for smaller markets like Belgium, Netherlands and Austria, where he maintained last year’s levels, he said. Data from the hotels in Sunny Beach, there was no decline in guests from Romania and Bulgaria, and some reported an increase of Bulgarian tourists. National Institute of Statistics reported 5.8 percent decrease in visits by foreigners in Bulgaria by the end of July compared with last year. However, the statistics take into account all travel, including transit passed through aliens. Reservations at 12 without 5 in the short season this summer tourism is led by entries in the last minute. Data from the tour operators, if ever share of last minute was about 10-15% of sales in 2008, in that it has already reached 30-40 even 50% in some hotels. The main reason for this is that many people decide at the last moment when and where the rest proceeding from uncertainty about their own financial situation. Individual reductions for booking last minute reaching 20-25% of which was also a strong incentive to wait with reservations. This situation has created uncertainty for both tour operators and hotels and to contribute to the reduction in income in the sector. „This year we worked mainly on special offers,“ said commercial director Margita Todorova Albena. Discounts and offering different extras to the package was the formula for the hotels in Sunny Beach, Golden Sands and the smaller resorts. „Another serious problem during the summer, the summer programs that start later and finish earlier than usual,“ commented Ventsislav Tanchev representative of the tourist agency „Alturs for Bulgaria. According to him, except for crisis situations that have wine and hoteliers who, not having reached a certain volume of visitors prefer to close the hotel. „So if he wants to stay up later, the tourist is forced to move to another place and next year will come in August,“ explains Tanchev. According to most tour operators are still hotels in Bulgaria have problems with the service, which is another important reason for the decline in guests at the hotels.

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