Informes Sectoriales OP - Icex

TOURISM AND RELATED SERVICES IN BULGARIA
6.4. PERCEPTION OF SPANISH PRODUCTS
Spanish hotel chain Barcelo Hotels & Resorts will be managing the new 4-star city
hotel that opened in November 2005. Investor is the Bulgarian company Festa Holding
with BGN 14 mln. The seven-floor building has 120 rooms, 4 suites, 2 restaurants,
3 bars, etc. According to Jose Palou, Barcelo’s representative and its executive
manager for Europe, the hotel chain has already held talks with investors who
will build tourism sites in Sunny Beach.
TThhee Buul lggaarri iaann ttoouurri issm sseeccttoorr hhaass rreeaacctteedd ppoossi itti ivveel lyy ttoo tthhee eennttrraannccee oof f aa nneew ppl laayyeerr
ssuucchh aass Baarrcceel loo, , aanndd hhaass weel lccoomeedd tthhee inntteerreesstt i oof f bbi igg inntteerrnnaatti i ioonnaal l cchhaai innss aanndd ttoouurr
ooppeerraattoorrss inn i ggeenneerraal l. . TThhee bbi igg ccoomppaanni ieess aarree eexxppeecctteedd ttoo aattttrraacctt moorree vvi issi ittoorrss aal lssoo bbee--
ccaauussee tthheei irr nnaameess gguuaarraanntteeee tthhee eexxtteenntt aanndd tthhee qquuaal littyy oof f tthhee sseerrvvi icceess tthheeyy oof ffeerr.
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TThheerree aarree vveerryy ggoooodd rreessuul lttss frroom f tthhee ooppeerraatti ioonn oof f ootthheerr ttwoo SSppaanni isshh hhootteel l cchhaai innss ––
RIU aanndd Ibbeerroossttaarr. I . TThheessee ccoomppaanni ieess hhaavvee maannaaggeedd ttoo pprroovvi iddee vveerryy ggoooodd pprroodduuccttss oonn
tthhee Buul lggaarri iaann maarrkkeett. . TThheeyy aal lssoo hhaavvee bbi igg nnuumbbeerr oof f ttrraaddi itti ioonnaal l ccl lieennttss whhoo fuul f llyy rreel lyy
oonn tthhee qquuaal littyy oof f tthhee pprroovvi iddeedd sseerrvvi icceess. .
In Bulgaria’s leading business print media (Dnevnik Daily, 27 January 2007), the
Spanish tourism exchange is portrayed as one of the most significant international
events in the sector, and currently is being the second largest, outpacing the London
exchange. At the exhibition in Spain in January 2006, over 130 countries were presented.
The Bulgarian participants were nine, among them Bulgaria Air, Sofia Municipality,
and tour operators Aerotravel, DM Travel, Alexander Tours, Gloria Tours
and others.
At the exhibition, the then interim head of Bulgaria’s State Tourism Agency Valeri
Petrov announced that the Spanish tourists expected to visit this country in 2006
would be twice the number in 2005. The main contribution to the growth of Spanish
tourists in Bulgaria is that of Bulgaria Air’s new programs. The air carrier intends to
increase its direct flights to Bulgaria planning the following destinations: Madrid –
Sofia; Madrid – Burgas; Barcelona – Sofia; Malaga – Sofia; and Palma de Mallorca –
Sofia. The air carrier plans to start these flights in June 2006. The Spanish tourists
will stay mainly in Sunny Beach and the town of Nessebur.
Another program is planned to take the guests from Spain on country tours. They
will include visits to cultural monuments, incl. those under UNESCO protection,
monasteries, etc. Another option is organizing visits around various traditional festivals
such as the picking of roses. There is also interest in corporate incentive trips
which companies organize for their employees.
Spanish Economic and Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy in Sofia 81