Jetsettersblog

Bulgaria Tourism used the stage of the World Travel Mart to begin more aggressively marketing Bulgaria’s tourism resources. Bulgaria has a wide variety of landscapes, national parks, spas, as well as beach resorts along the Black Sea coast and a stretch of mountains that feature skiing and mountaineering.

The Valley of the Roses, the Thracian tombs of Sveshtari and Kazanluk, the Rila Monastery, and nine UNESCO sites testify to the country’s diverse tourism offering. More than 40,000 cultural monuments of different historical eras are registered in Bulgaria, more than 160 Orthodox monasteries have been constructed, there are more than 330 museums and galleries, seven historic monuments are included in the UNESCO List.

There are Thracian tombs with priceless treasures. One of the largest sanctuaries of Dionysius was discovered in Perperikon, a hill some 12 miles from the town of Kurdjali. Routes have been developed for trips, biking-, photo- and eco-tourism. Bulgaria is home to numerous mineral springs. The tradition of using the curative powers of the waters of Bulgaria for strengthening the mind and the body dates back to the Thracians in the 5th century B.C. In Bulgaria there are more than 800 mineral springs, grouped in approximately 240 fields with a total output of nearly 270 million liters per 24 hours.

New spa and wellness complexes have opened in Bankya, Kyustendil, Sapareva Banya, Velingrad, Devin, Dobrinishte, Bansko, and other destinations. The geographical diversity includes mountain resorts at Bansko (Pirin Mountain), Borovetz (Rila Mountain), Pamporovo (the Rhodope Mountains), Vitosha Mountain, Triavna, Gabrovo, Apriltzi, Troyan, Teteven (Stara Planina Mountain). Bansko calls itself “the most modern ski center in South-Eastern Europe.”

A total of 4,837,150 foreign tourists (excluding same-day visitors) visited Bulgaria in 2005 (a 4.5 percent over 2004). A total of 4,090,421 foreign tourists visited Bulgaria for leisure purposes (exclusive of the children registered in their parents’ passports) in 2005, which was an increase of 2 percent.

A total of 3,716,193 foreign tourists (excluding same-day visitors) have visited Bulgaria from January to August 2006 (5.8 percent increase over the same period in 2005).

For more information, www.bulgariatravel.org