Association of Bulgarian Tour Operators

As the May holidays mark the onset of sea tourism, Bulgarians and foreigners preparing for their annual getaways are facing a stark reality: trips this year will come with a heftier price tag, with expenses expected to surge by 10-15% compared to last year.

Representatives of the tourism industry will mount a protest in front of the Council of Ministers. They insist on state support for the sector suffering huge losses during the emergency situation. The key demands are a 5% reduction in VAT for tourism in the next two years, as well as an extension of the refund period for the prepaid but cancelled trips abroad, BNR reported.

Thanks to low-cost airlines, which offered reasonable prices for airline tickets, about 170,000 foreigners chose to visit Sofia and Bulgaria during the holidays. This is what Svidna Dineva of the Board of the Association of Bulgarian Tour Operators told the Bulgarian National Radio.

Plans by Bulgarian road hauliers to halt traffic at crossings on the border with Greece during Orthodox Easter holidays threaten to incur huge losses to tour operators and hotel owners, bTV broadcaster reported on Friday, citing industry sources.

Experts and representatives of a range of political parties have agreed on the need to establish a separate Tourism Ministry.

Bulgaria's goals and priorities in the sphere of tourism were discussed at a public discussion at the headquarters of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS).

The Association of Bulgarian Tour Operators expects over 10% tourism decline this year, mainly due to the weak summer season and the lack of advertising.

The number of tourists from the Netherlands has dropped by 30% this summer, and the number of Germans - by 5%, Darik news reports.

Bulgaria's tourist business does not expect significant influx of visitors for Easter, as traditionally, most Bulgarians prefer to spend the holiday at home.