Informes Sectoriales OP - Icex

TOURISM AND RELATED SERVICES IN BULGARIA
5. ANALYSIS OF THE MARKET OFFER
5.1. DOMESTIC PRODUCTION AND MAIN PRODUCERS
There are a total of 102 official resorts in Bulgaria. 34 of them are of national importance,
and 68 – of local importance.
5.1.1. Types of Tourism
Seaside tourism
Bulgarian seaside resorts and the coastline towns offer varied options for family vacationing,
rest and pro-active sporting. Supply includes practicing of surfing, water
ski, diving, underwater fishing, underwater archaeology, and other aquatic sport.
The yacht ports in Balchik, Varna, Nessebar, and Burgas offer opportunities for
yachting with the necessary servicing and customs services. Routes have been devised
for pedestrian, biking and horseback tourism, photo- and eco-tourism, visiting
natural, archaeological and cultural landmarks, trips in Bulgaria and abroad.
Skiing and mountain tourism
Convenient ski runs and facilities for skiing tourism and winter sports are on offer in
the mountains of Rila, Pirin, Rhodope, Vitosha, and Stara Planina (or Balkan range).
The ski-season duration in the average- and high-altitude mountain resorts is up to
190 days. Ski runs’ total length exceeds 80 km with level differences of up to 1500
m. Pamporovo, Borovets, Bansko and Aleko resorts have year-round functioning accommodation
premises and a winter sports infrastructure (lifts, Alpine skiing and ski
runs) undergoing renovation and development. In response to modern demand - new
ski tourism centres are getting also established: Smolyan, Chepelare, Dobrinishte,
Malyovitsa, Semkovo, etc.
Spa tourism
Bulgarian thermal mineral water is distinguished for its great diversity. Known in
Bulgaria are more than 550 spots of 1,600 mineral water springs with a total debit of
4,900 l./sec. Prevalent is the slightly mineralized water – 66.7 per cent, mineralized
mineral water – 14.4 per cent, and gas water – 17.9 per cent. Bulgaria’s various
mountain relief, wide frontage, proximity to the Mediterranean Sea and favorable location
provide excellent biological and climatic conditions for complex impact on the
human body. One of this country’s major advantages to other traditional spa tourist
destinations on the Balkan peninsula, in Western Europe and in the region of the
Spanish Economic and Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy in Sofia 55