The Ministry of Tourism reported the results from the winter months in our ski resorts and announced legislative changes, aimed at the easing of ski lifts and facilities’ construction. After a meeting with representatives of the winter resorts, also attended by her advisor in the field of winter tourism Marc Girardelli, Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova stated that the creation of a joint marketing strategy and an advertisement campaign for the next ski season was forthcoming over the next weeks.

“The 2014 – 2015 winter season was pretty successful,” Minister Angelkova said. “According to data of the National Statistical Institute for the period December 2014 – March 2015 we had a growth of 8.2%, 1.2 million tourists and revenues to the tune of EUR 320 million, or a 6% growth. Turkey has marked the greatest growth – 30% and that is why we will work together with the foreign ministry for the implementation of the visa regime’s easing for Turkish tourists not only through the winter, but all through the year.”

Despite the increased number of tourists from traditional winter destinations, such as Italy, Germany and Austria, by 15% on average, Minister Angelkova says that neighboring countries remain the traditional market for our winter resorts. Representatives of the ministry of tourism and of ski centers also defend that opinion, sharing at the same time a series of joint problems.

“We have a lot of work to do over the next winter season, especially in the direction of ski infrastructure,” Minister Angelkova said. “Bulgaria takes one of the last positions, as far as ski slopes and ski lifts are concerned, no matter that lifts are the greenest kind of transport. We have prepared legislative changes and the public discussion and implementation of the procedure are forthcoming.”

The 5 time World Cup winner Marc Girardelli has been working for nearly ten years for the popularization of winter sports and of Bulgaria as a ski destination. He has been the advisor of Minister Angelkova for several months now. After the meeting Mr. Girardelli voiced to reporters his surprise by the fact that Bulgaria had been fighting for years with one problem – the really clumsy procedures at the construction of new and the renewal of already existing ski facilities in the mountain resorts. In his words that stops foreign investors that would like to participate in their modernization.

“It is a pity that Bulgaria has resorts, aged 50 – 60 years, which cannot be modernized. That causes real surprise among potential investors from Austria, Switzerland and Germany that I talk to,” Mr. Girardelli commented. “The potential of Bulgaria’s winter centers is really big, but barriers are being put up here, instead of opening the path to investments. That stops the economic development of the regions and respectively the higher standard of living. Foreign investors cannot afford to wait for a construction permit to be issued within a period of a decade or two. Such terms cannot be justified and the whole thing gets far too risky.”

English version: Zhivko Stanchev