A correspondent on another thread suggested that the low tourist numbers in Bulgaria are a result of inadequate infrastructure. i don't see why he thinks that, surely, the need for infrastructure depends on the type of tourist.
If you are the type of tourist who wants everything lid on a plate, a full English breakfast every morning and all inclusive holidays then Bulgaria is probably not for you. Should you prefer a country which is more interested in developing itself and recovering from the ravages of the planned economy then Bulgaria is for you. There are hotels in every municipality and at different quality and price levels. Menus are usually in Bulgarian ad those which are translated provide the same joy which Greek and Spanish translations were providing for tourists fifty years ago.
Bulgarians generally welcome visitors and outside resorts will provide a warmth of hospitality seldom experienced by tourists today. The tourist provides a much needed input of foreign currency and if that is spent in local shops and businesses it provides jobs.and away from coastal resorts it may even save villages.
What Bulgaria does not need are all inclusive resorts, water parks at every turn, road trains which run only in the summer and the party atmosphere which has ruined resorts in Spain and Greece.
Tourism in BG
Hi there, regarding tourism a lot to say.
In Bulgaria you may find those all inclusive resorts that you mention, just check the offers for Golden Sands or Sunny Beach.
And, some people love it. Breakfast, beach, beer, and, ..., cheap!!!
On the other side, you may find all those marvellous places, small towns, resting under the trees, mountains, etc,...
A really different kind of tourism.
Speaking as Spanish, I may tell you that digging into Internet and offers, you may find a quite different offer than those from the Mediterranean sea resorts, check offers in the North part and you'll be amazed.
I do agree that the kind of mass tourism sounds "destroying". and personally I don't like it. Unfortunately this is the trend now and many people don't like adventures, searching the Internet, and so on.
And tourism represents almost 20% of GDP in Greece or 10% in Spain.
A lot to say about that.
Cheers.
An interesting justification of mass tourism from the home of mass tourism. Spain reaps 10% and Greece 20% of GDP so the rest of us must suffer. All inclusive resorts do nothing for the areas where they are situated but because they have crept into Sunny Beach they must be tolerated. It would in my opinion be a happier and more contented world if the resorts in Benidorm and Sunny Beach had never been developed. I won't even start on the resorts where the offering is lethal doses of alcohol leading to more lethal doses of alcohol.
Bulgaria would do well to take a leaf out of the books of countries which have recognised the short term benefits of mass tourism are greatly outweighed by the long term harm. The country ha much to offer without massive capital expenditure and without ransoming the economy of the country to multi-national operators whose loyalty is to the bottom line. What is missing is the marketing of what is good.
Well, in fact I didn't justify anything but...
In fact, if you don't use those resorts or even don't travel there, you don't need to suffer.
It doesn't matter if we like it or not, the trend is there, marketing is there.
You cannot promote or market something that people is not willing to buy, it doesn't matter how good and wonderful it is.
Good, nature friendly tourism is there, offers are available, wonderful packages, very nice prices, and still a minority.
And, yes, they need to be tolerated if they comply with laws and rules, there is nothing we can do about that.
Clearly, any business or facility which is legal, decent and honest must be tolerated. It is, however, not the case that we cannot do anything about them nor is it true that it is not possible to promote things which people do not wish to buy. Take a look at the promotion and use of tobacco over the past century as an example. Marketing can create markets from nothing, what we can do is encourage the promotion of products which do not adversely affect indigenous peoples or the environment. For another extreme example take a look at how Bhutan has controlled the less desirable aspects of tourism for decades.
The key is, as you say, in the laws controlling tourism and in a free society like Bulgaria people can encourage changes which could easily avoid the excesses mentioned previously.
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