Tourism sector upbeat despite challenges in Black Sea summer season

Bulgaria's tourism industry is approaching the summer season with cautious optimism despite a more challenging environment, hotel representatives from the northern and southern Black Sea coast said at a meeting in Burgas. Participants pointed to a slight decline in bookings for all-inclusive resorts, citing Booking.com data, but noted growing interest in Varna as a city-break destination and in the Sts. Constantine and Helena resort as a spa destination.

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They also warned that maintaining a strong online presence had become essential, with more than 40% of Europeans now using artificial intelligence tools to plan their holidays.

Changing consumer behaviour remains one of the industry's biggest challenges, according to Silviya Kyoseva, co-owner of a hotel in Sunny Beach. She said many travellers have tended to book at the last minute since the Covid-19 pandemic, forcing hotels to adopt a more proactive approach.

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Burgas and Varna airports are equipped with modernised infrastructure and are ready to handle significantly higher passenger volumes in the coming years, said Michael Reusch, chief executive of Fraport Twin Star Airport Management. He added that the two airports were among the best prepared in Europe in terms of safety and operational readiness.

Editor: Diana Tsankova