Logicworks Publications

Bulgaria shakes off grim image to become top holiday choice
By Fiona Govan
(Published in the Sunday Telegraph, 11/01/2004)

It was once the epitome of grim Communist uniformity, but Bulgaria is emerging as this year's hot destination for British tourists.

Sales figures indicate that up to 200,000 Britons will travel to the Balkan nation's Black Sea resorts this summer, where the attractions include cheap drink, large sandy beaches and temperatures in the 80s.

One British tour operator has already named Bulgaria as the top place to visit this year, while a report in America last week also named it as being among the 10 best international destinations.

The emergence of Bulgaria, and its 240-mile long "Black Sea Riviera", has been helped by the Euro's rising value against the pound. This has made holiday spots such as Greece and Spain far more expensive for Britons than non-euro countries.

Thomson Holidays, Britain's largest tour operator, said that it had included Bulgaria in its brochure for the first time this year.

The country, where a seven-day holiday in a three-star hotel, including bed and breakfast, costs from £259 per person, was already one of its three best-selling destinations, along with Florida and Cyprus.

"Bulgaria's biggest selling points are the great beaches and sunny climate combined with attractions including wine tasting, aqua parks, ancient monuments, nature parks, music and flower festivals," said a spokesman for Thomson.

"It's also really cheap when you get there - a pint of beer is 50p, a meal for two can be had for under £5, and a decent bottle of wine for around £2. The holidays are considerably cheaper than the equivalent in Spanish, Greek or Portuguese resorts."

Bulgaria's Black Sea resorts boast white sandy beaches, warm seas and temperatures that average 80F (26C)during the summer.

The country, which is roughly half the size of Britain, also has mountains and lakes and claims to be the motherland of the mythical songster Orpheus and of the gladiator Spartacus, who led a slave revolt against the Romans.

The principal Black Sea resorts in Bulgaria are Albena, Golden Sands and Sunny Beach. Golden Sands lies close to Varna, another resort where Leonid Brezhnev, the former leader of the Soviet Union, holidayed during the Communist era. Todor Zhivkov, the former Communist leader of Bulgaria also used to take his holidays on the Black Sea, at the resort of Evksinograd.

Sean Tipton, a spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents, said that Bulgaria was the fastest growing holiday destination for 2004 and that at least 200,000 Britons were likely to visit this year - nearly double last year's total.

"Previously holidaymakers have been put off from visiting the country because it has been difficult to get there and because the accommodation was not up to standard," he said. "All that has changed in the last few years. At the moment it is fantastic value for money, but it won't stay that way for long."

First Choice Holidays, which has offered package holidays to Bulgaria since 2000, said that the country was its "star performer".

Richard Curtis, its spokesman, said: "At a time when holiday bookings are down almost 25 per cent on last year to destinations across the board, Bulgaria's performance is phenomenal. We have already increased our sales of holidays to Bulgaria by 100 per cent and it is only the second week in January."

A report in the The Washington Post last week named Bulgaria as one of the world's top 10 international destinations of the year, alongside more predictable choices such as Botswana, the Bahamas and Ecuador.

The country is not only attracting package holiday makers: the capital Sofia is luring weekend visitors with its historical churches, museums and boulevards.

Marin Dimitrov, a spokesman for the Bulgarian Embassy in London, said that his country welcomed the influx of British tourists.

"Bulgaria has a rich cultural and historical background that has a great deal to offer foreign holidaymakers," he said. "We are delighted that people are recognising this and coming to visit our country. This is a very good thing for Bulgaria."

With bargain deals and cheap food and booze, the country has recently been named one of the Top 10 international destinations.

And Brits are voting with their sun hats as they ditch traditional resorts in Spain and Greece for a brilliant Balkan break.

Bulgaria's stunning capital, Sofia, is great for weekend breaks and easily accessible from coastal airports for a beach holiday.

But the real draw of the former Communist state is its 240-mile coastline known as the Black Sea Riviera.

Here, after lazing in the sun on pristine sand, you can sink a bottle of local wine for about £1.50 or a beer for just 50p.

A meal for two costs no more than £5 and there's plenty of pizza joints, burger bars and Greek and Italian restaurants to try, alongside the Bulgarian taverns and folk venues.

Despite the bad reputation of eastern European fare, Bulgarian food is surprisingly tasty. Favourites include minced meat rolls and speciality salads.

But more humble feeds are a bargain, too. An ice cream will set you back just 40p, while a burger is typically around 30p.

And although it is a relatively poor country, crime is no worse than in any of the traditional destinations.

ALBENA named after a local beauty, this resort just south of the Romanian border is getting a top-notch reputation for its buzzing nightlife and seven-mile sandy beach.

It is child-friendly and activities include everything from parascending and Jeep Safaris to mini-golf.

At night, the Variety Club is a must, while great bars include Arabella's and the Fisherman's Hut.

For a quality traditional eaterie, stop at Slav's Corner. But there's every kind of food here, including a Norwegian steak restaurant.

GOLDEN SANDS Bulgaria's second-largest resort is set on a pretty hillside, but the fabulous beach shelves gently and is ideal for youngsters.

There is an array of water sports on offer and the resort is famous for its diving centres.

There are plenty of food options, including pizza and hamburgers. But for a real Bulgarian experience try venues such as Sheepfold and Izvora.

Golden Sands also has a string of Western-style discos. The best is called Bonkers.

SUNNY BEACH with glorious sands and soaring summer temperatures, this resort certainly lives up to its name. Its fivemile beach has an attractive promenade with a mini-train.

It's the biggest resort on the Black Sea and a great place for water sports of all kinds. Check out the great local cabaret at Khan's Tent, one of the resort's superb discos. There are also plenty of top restaurants.

Perfect for families, there's a brilliant water park and many of the hotels have great clubs for children.

There is easy access from the airport at Bourgas 30km away and twoday round trips can even be made to Istanbul in Turkey. It's also near the fishing village of Old Nessebur.

ST KONSTANTIN a quieter resort near the bustling port of Varna, excellent for couples and older visitors. It is beautifully positioned in woodland and dubbed "the garden village".

FACT FILE A seven-night half-board holiday at the three sun plus Hotel Laguna Garden in Albena costs £1478 from First Choice for a family of four with two adults and two kids.

At the end of the day it’s no more expensive than a caravan in Bridlington,” says Jan Turner, a public-relations director, of the new three-bedroom flat she and husband Robert have just bought in Goa, India. Spurred on by the glut of holiday-home programmes and cheaper and more regular long-haul flights, Britons are widening their horizons when it comes to buying abroad. The stampede for overseas homes is switching to further-flung destinations where low price tags are attracting more British buyers: Turkey, Thailand, India, Brazil, South Africa and Croatia are increasingly popular targets.

But prices of £25,000 or less for a place in the sun tend to bring some disadvantages, ranging from unstable political systems and long flight times to complex legal systems that can make property ownership a minefield.

Stephen and Wendy James, from Fareham, Hampshire, began to look abroad when their two sons went to university. They had holidayed in Bulgaria and decided to investigate buying a retirement base there. Searching the internet, they were overwhelmed by what they could get for their money, and in May this year they bought a four-bedroom villa in Samokov, a mountain resort about 40 miles from the capital, Sofia, for £13,500. Built in 1976, the Swiss-style house is on three floors, with the master bedroom on the top floor, a huge galley hall, an open-plan lounge-kitchen area and half an acre of land.

The process of buying property in Bulgaria — if done through a reputable company — is fairly pain-free, says Stephen, although he admits a lot is done on trust. The first time they arrived at their property they found a horse and cart being loaded with furniture he’d agreed to buy, and no electricity or water because gypsies had stolen the electric cable.

“We returned to the estate agency and they arranged a good security system, and the electricity was restored in a few days so all was well, but it was certainly an interesting start to property-ownership in Bulgaria.” Now when they visit they hire a car for about £8 a day when they land at Sofia, rather than pay the £20 taxi fare for the hour-long journey to their villa.

On Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, a villa can be bought for £10,500 — less than the deposit on a similar-sized Spanish seaside property. Even a three-storey, five-bedroom house in a smart suburb of the coastal city Varna, with a sea view, would cost less than £60,000 and could rent for £700 a week during the summer. Properties have risen in value by 16% in the past 12 months, and the cost of living in Bulgaria is about a fifth of that in western Europe.

However tempting it sounds, Chris Northam, managing director of Bulgarian Trade Partners, warns: “It is very important that you take steps to ensure your purchase is watertight — there is a two-tier price market in operation, with one price for local purchasers and a higher price for non- Bulgarians. The legal ins and outs of individual ownership are quite complicated, as are the number of days a year that can be spent in the country.”

The James family is regularly approached by others interested in buying in Bulgaria. “Always make sure you deal with a reputable estate agent,” advises Stephen. “It’s vital you go to visit the area too — browsing on the internet, my brother-in-law couldn’t believe that we hadn’t gone for a beautiful house overlooking a lake, but in reality there’s the most ugly electrical generator right beside it. If you’d bought that blind, you ’d be sunk.”