December 18 (BTA) - The winter
tourist season opened in Bulgaria with excellent skiing
conditions and slopes crowded by winter sports fans.

In Borovets, the season kicked off on Saturday at all three ski
centres: Sitnyakovo, Yastrebets and Markudjik. "This year the
weather is on our side, so we're opening all three ski centres,"
 Borosport Marketing Organizer Maria Sheynova told BTA. She
explained that the snow is abundant and the conditions are good.
 "But we keep the snow guns going because the start of the
season is crucial to take advantage of the right weather
conditions, so as to ensure an adequate snow cover for as long
as possible," Sheynova added.

"We will not change our last year's prices until the Christmas
season. Access to enclosed spaces is by green certificate only.
A mask mandate applies at crowded locations," Sheynova said. "We
 rely mainly on Bulgarian tourists and visitors from the rest of
 the Balkans. This year we also expect our traditional guests
from Britain to be back to Borovets, too," Sheynova pointed out.

"The roads and the parking areas are completely snow-free, and
the necessary arrangements have been made with local
government," Ivan Stankov of the Yastrebets Gondola told BTA.

Until December 26, a daily lift pass costs 62 leva for adults,
45 leva for young persons (aged 14-22) and 36 leva for children
(aged 7-13). As from December 27, the prices will be 75, 54 and
44 leva, respectively.

"Tour operators expect a strong winter tourist season,"
Institute for Analysis and Assessment in Tourism Director Rumen
Draganov said in a BTA interview. While 680,000 foreign tourists
 visited Bulgaria between late December 2020 and early March
2021, a double that number is expected this winter.

National Tourism Board (NTB) Executive Director Polina
Karastoyanova commented to BTA that most parts of Bulgaria are
completely ready to offer recreation conditions with natural
snow. "We have cautiously optimistic expectations because the
business community has done what is necessary and all
prerequisites are in place for a safe, calm and secure tourist
season," Karastoyanova said.

Launching the 2021/2022 winter season in Pamporovo (South
Central Bulgaria) on Friday, Tourism Minister Hristo Prodanov
said he was optimistic. "To be successful, the forthcoming
season must see lots or snow and lots of tourists," he added.
Pamporovo AD Executive Director Mariyan Belyakov also hopes that
 this winter season will be good, considering that there is so
much snow in December for the first time in years.

In Bansko (Southwestern Bulgaria), the season was formally
opened on Saturday.

"The new thing this year is that the industry is back to normal
competition conditions," Draganov commented. "The winter resorts
 in France, Austria and Andorra were closed last winter, but
they are open now, which is good because winter tourism is far
better publicized," he argued. "The Bulgarian tourism industry
operates better in competitive conditions, and our tourism
product is much better placed because it is competitively
priced," Draganov said. He added that Borovets and Bansko are
reputed as some of the top bargain skiing resorts, while
Pamporovo is ideal for children and beginners.

Karastoyanova stressed that Bulgaria needs a new post-COVID
strategy for the development of tourism, which should be drawn
up with the participation of international experts and should
envisage the development of the separate components of the
industry in this country, including winter tourism. "Bulgarian
mountains must be accessible, the opposite is a crime against
Bulgarian society," she argued.

The NTB Executive Director singled out the need to support the
tourism sector in the short term with regard to the green
certificate and vaccination. The Board insists that the green
certificate should become mandatory for all Bulgarian citizens'
access to all public services and activities. RY/LG

//

Source: Borovets, Southwestern Bulgaria