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The mushrooming golf clubs throughout Bulgaria come as an alternative to the concrete sins on the Bulgarian Black sea cost.
Date: 2008-07-01
This is the conclusion of the German DPA Agency, which made its own examination on the theme. The new golf club in Ravno Pole village, located on 25 kilometers from Bulgarian capital Sofia is presently turning into regular destination for the tourists, looking for tranquility. The golf club is visited by more and more Sofia citizens, diplomats and foreign contractors. According to the DPA Agency the golf clubs with luxurious hotels and modern SPA - facilities will improve the tourism image of Bulgaria, associated in Europe mainly with the cheap Black Sea vacation.
There are still 19 golf playgrounds more presently being built, one of which estimated on the amount of 50 million EUR - the future Golf & SPA complex in Pravets town, the birth town of former communist President of Bulgaria Todor Zhivkov. Specialists consider the strong investment interest will bring the construction of round 40 golf playgrounds in the country. The Bulgarian government also approves the intentions Bulgaria to be turned into international destination for golf tourism. There are excellent climate conditions in Bulgaria and the scenery is extremely attractive.
After the construction boom on the sea coast, the upcoming summer will show is still the tourism in Bulgaria capable to escape the sins of concrete and to return to nature, the specialized tourism editions comment. World - wide famous Black sea coasts and ski resorts in Southern Bulgaria have attracted more than 5 million tourists in common for the last 2007 year. The amount of tourists from EU have raised with 50 %. Incomes of tourism for Bulgaria have reached the record to the moment 2, 3 billion EUR - raise of 11% compared to the previous year. The State Agency of Tourism expects 10% raise for 2008 too.
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The extreme tourism turns to be one of the latest hits of the tourism agencies,
Date: 2008-05-14
Over 12,000 Bulgarians on different age showed interest towards possibilities for extreme experience and rest among the beautiful Bulgarian nature in April.
For the moment the most requested extreme activity is rafting - dropping by the fast waters of Struma river in Kresna gorge.
The mix of rafting plus the emotions of riding horses in Pirin Mountain also attracts the attention of many tourists.
Horse passage in the Rhodope's village of Trigrad (South - Eastern Rhodopes), Vratsa Balkan (Western Stara Planina Mountain) and the Aidushko gathering place in Troyan Balkan (Central Stara Planina) are among the favorite tourism destinations of the adventurous tourists.
Many people are also ready to climb down with a rope in a waterfall, to enter on a boat in a cave, rowing among the water cave galleries./www.news.bg/
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Germans started to book again holidays in Bulgaria after a two-year withdrawal, Dnevnik daily reported
Date: 2008-03-12
The signals came from the last week's International Tourism Bourse (ITB), the annual business-to-business industry event, reminded from the daily.
Tourism experts said German bookings in Bulgaria should see a 5% increase up to 400,000 in 2008.
Seaside Burgas and Varna airports' data showed that 390,000 German tourists came to the country on trips arranged by tour operators.
The total number of Germans that landed in the two airports was 600,000.
Round 4 years ago, the number of German holiday-makers peaked, but was followed by a significant drop as the German economy slowed down and the quality of tourist services in Bulgaria worsened.
The tour operator expects to book Bulgarian holidays for 140,000 German tourists in 2008, comparing to the 120,000 last year.
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Tourism 2007
Date: 2008-01-08
Bulgaria’s first year as an EU-member state has had a favorable impact on its tourist image. The interest in our country has been rising as well as the flow of tourists from other countries. Over 4 million foreign residents took a winter or summer vacation in Bulgaria in 2006, which is about 7% up on 2006. EU citizens account for more than 70% of foreign tourists to Bulgaria, notably Greece, Germany, UK, Sweden and Finland. Over the last 12 months the number of tourists from the latter country shot up by 30%. And yet, Bulgarian tourism, dubbed until quite recently “the Balkan Tiger”, has been running at a low tide compared with preceding years.
This made itself painfully prominent as early as the start of the 2007 season. For the first time in many years, in mid-July, quite a few newly built hotels in the country’s Black Sea resorts found themselves unoccupied. Hoteliers’ best bet was to slash overnight charges, which entailed in its turn an unprecedented and fierce competition in the branch. In the month of August, a traditional peak in high season bookings, the tourist reflux was compensated for with fresh holiday bookings from EU and neighbouring countries.
Experts explain the alarming occurrence with a runaway sprawl of building developments- hotels, vacation villages, golf grounds, night entertainment outlets- which has totally thwarted Bulgaria’s image as a holiday destination, offering delightful family perks, unspoilt nature among them. An all-time high number of hotels and entertainment places-1800- were built in the first seven months of the year. And yet, an increasing number of people in Bulgaria are becoming aware that tourism does not necessarily mean only luxury accommodation, round-the-clock entertainment and cheap liquor. Tourist operators are beginning to opt for well paying clients who’d really like to see and appreciate the true values of Bulgaria; tourists would not fall for cheap tour packages on the Black Sea and would like instead to go deep inland to explore monasteries, medieval fortresses and the national heritage. In 2007, a great number of municipalities across the country drafted and carries through with EU funds projects on sustainable tourist development. Setting up eco and trekking trails and routes, revival of local folklore and traditional crafts and restoration of rundown old monasteries have been only but few of enterprising arrangements to advertise the respective regions as attractive tourist destinations. Rural tourism gained in popularity in 2007 too. Rural vacations usually offer, as well as accommodation with village families, horseback rides, jeep-safaris and get-to-know -the- place treks to natural sites or trips to cultural and historical sites.
In 2007 many foreigners, mostly from UK, bought houses or flats in Bulgaria, some of them to live in Bulgarian villages or small towns in their retirement or use them as holiday villas. Entire communities of ex-pats have emerged in mountain areas or at the Black Sea. Newly-built luxury flats or villas at the Black Sea appear to be much sought after as they come cheapest in EU. The owners of such properties, coming mostly from EU countries and Russia use them either as summer retreats or turn them into holiday lets at relatively prices, underbidding the local market.
Traditionally, Bulgaria’s biggest skiing resorts are most favoured by Britons. Scandinavians, Russians and tourists from neighbouring Balkans like coming to Bulgaria for skiing holidays too.
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Bulgaria ranks 7th in foreign investments effectiveness
Date: 2007-10-31
Bulgaria ranks 7th as per the effectiveness of foreign investments in the period from 2004 to 2006. Fifteen years ago the country occupied the 92nd position in the chart. The main factors for attracting foreign capital are cheap labor and the country’s membership of the European Union. So far Bulgaria and Romania have attracted the total of USD 62 billion: that is, 18 times more compared to 10 years ago. Data comes from the latest report on world investments in 2007 of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development quoted by Deutsche Welle.
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Cheap flights attract investors on the international property market
Date: 2007-09-27
According to new research by the organization new routes can highlight the next property hotspots, provoking increased returns for investors. One such example of the effect can be seen in Bulgaria where new flights from Easy -Jet and Ryan-air to the country's ski and beach resorts - launched in January 2007 - have seen both property interest. Some £310 million worth of property has been purchased in the country in the first three months of the year.
"The budget airline industry is booming, indicated by Easy-Jet's 50 new routes announcement, and projections that the growth is set to continue across the world ensures the viability of the fly-to-let industry," commented Obelisk International's investment director, Kevin Prior.
"Knowing exactly where the cheap flights are travelling to is certainly a key element to investment success."
Further examples can be found at Paphos and Larnaca airports in Cyprus where new Monarch and Ryanair routes have increased investment interest in the country.
Morocco has also received increased interest after announcing the arrival of up to 20 new routes over the next five years.
The number of routes available to a location was one key consideration, along with the cost of the flights and ease of travel to property from the airport, when choosing an investment location, according to Obelisk.
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Bulgaria's Burgas Eyes Up to USD 50 M from Pipeline Project
Date: 2007-08-07
The municipality of Bulgaria's Burgas may pocket between USD 35 - 50 M from transit fees from the oil pipeline between their port and Greece's Alexandroupolis.
This emerged during a meeting of Regional Development Minister Assen Gagauzov and Interior Minister Rumen Petkov with representatives of the municipal council of the Black Sea town of Burgas and deputy mayor Venelin Todorov.
The officials tried to assuage fears over the project environmental impact on the town. The residents of Burgas were recently urged to have their say on plans for constructing the major oil pipeline in a referendum. The vote was scheduled for September 2.
Bulgaria, Greece and Russia agreed to build the pipeline, which would take Caspian oil to the Mediterranean skirting the congested Bosphorus, earlier this year after more than a decade of intermittent talks.
The 280-kilometre pipeline, with 166 kilometres passing through Bulgaria, will have an initial annual capacity of 35 million tonnes, which could be later expanded to 50 million tonnes. Its costs are estimated at up to USD 900 M.
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Date: 2007-03-19
Despite the negative articles the British people keep on being interested in purchasing properties in Bulgaria as they are making 66.87% from all the deals made by foreign nationals. Foreigners make altogether 29% from all the deals with Bulgarian properties. The new buyers on the Bulgarian property market are Spanish and Maltese citizens looking mainly for development plots. Their interest is one and the same to the see as well as to the mountain real estates. A significant increase of the demand for properties from Malta is expected because of the regular flights each two weeks between the two countries. After the British people who go by the price in the investment process and are buying mostly a studio or one-bedroom apartment in some of the famous resorts amounting from 30 000 Euros up to 80 000 Euros, most often owners of Bulgarian properties are becoming the Irish people. They are making 13% from the foreign purchase here during the year 2006. They prefer the coastal as well as the mountain apartments for personal use – one-or two-bedroom investing between 50 000 and 100 000 Euros.
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Bulgaria – paradise for foreign investing
Date: 2007-03-02
2nd of March, 2007 Handelsblatt
Foreign investors received a mark, after the Bulgarian entry in the EU community, for even bigger profit and opportunities for development in the even more dynamical domestic market. Bearing in mind that the living standards in Bulgaria are way far from these in the 25 present countries in the EU, the economic growth turned out to be a major priority of the Bulgarian government. This said, for instance decreasing of the Corporate tax since 1st of Jan 2007 from 15% to 10% is turning Bulgaria into one of the most attractive places for investment. Along with Cyprus, the Balkan country is among the countries with the lowest Corporate tax in the EU. Experts have estimated that by decreasing tax stakes Bulgarian companies will save approximately 150 million Euros.
Indeed Bulgaria is too weak regarding income of population and regional development. Despite this the country is winning exactly because of its weakness regarding the distribution of structural funds of the Union. So between 2007-2013 Bulgaria may count on approximately 12 billion Euros from Brussels. To this amount is added and 1.2 billion Euros from the pre-entry programs which has been expected to be spent up till 2011.
“If we really succeed in claiming and spending these funds, we will succeed to contribute to a major extent for the social-economic development of the country” said the Bulgarian Minister of Finances Plamen Oresharsky.
German companies may count on doubling their supplies to Bulgaria in a short-term plan. Big opportunities for an appropriate business environment have the companies, specializing in building/development and environmental preserving. Exactly in this sphere, the government is intending to be spared 3.6 billion Euros till 2015 according to the published “National strategy”. Major part of the amount (i.e. 2.1 billion Euros) has been spared for constructing water-filtering and sewage systems in Bulgarian cities. Most probably 750 million Euros will be spent for modernizing the water supply systems. Bit more than 797 million Euros are spared, according to the “National strategy” for the development of systems for collecting, keeping and recycling of public waste.
Companies with activities in sectors, in which Bulgarian companies have not been allowed because of not meeting the European criteria, might take advantage on better opportunities – mainly in food processing industry and chemical industry. Everyone, who wishes to receive comprehensive information for what measures are going to be in charge in the sphere of infrastructure and what is foreseen for the next 10 years in this aspect, has to become familiar in details with the appendix to the approved by the government “National strategy”. By this document every each potential investor might be able to work out a genuine picture regarding his chances for progress in Bulgaria and the big projects which are to be realized in the country.
Thus for example, between 2006 and 2015 there are going to be built 700 km. new highways. In this particular case it pertains to parts of the developing at the moment “Trakiya”, “Struma”, “Hemus” and “Black sea” highways. The stipulated funds amount to approximately 2.6 billion Euros.
Further in the governmental document there has been offered detailed information too, for the executed at the moment building works and the time limit in which all the projects have to be finished. This, for instance, is the “Maritsa” highway case, 114 km. which has to be finished till 30th of June 2009. This project is amounting to approximately 360 million Euros. In developing process are the two sections of “Trakiya” highway too.
On the basis of more and more consolidating domestic consumption an increase in market segments such as cars, appliances, electronics, information technology products and home supplies is foreseen. The turnover of the trade chains during the first 9 months of 2006 has increased by 12.2%. Clothes and shoes sales have marked growth by 13% and the trade of domestic appliances - by 18.3%. By dropping out the customs control and introducing the EU directives concerning the trade with third-party countries, the VAT stake is undertaken not by the customs anymore but by the National Revenue Agency.
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Is the interest in Bulgarian properties continuing to rise or not during 2007?
Date: 2007-01-25
The ‘hot’ real estate market in Bulgaria continues to attract more and more the attention of Bulgarian and foreign investors, brokers and analysts few days after the country became a member state of the European Union.
According to the international investment and consulting company Obelisk International, the real estate market in Bulgaria will top the European list in 2007. The main factors are the great amount of investments, which are expected in the country after Jan 1, 2007, the expanding tourist market and prosperity level growth, analysts appoint.
The British consultant company Assetz comments that despite the huge possibilities which Bulgaria offers to its investors during the last few years, there is no proof this growth will continue in a long-term.
But according to Obelisk International, the market in the country is able to offer its investors stable capital income and variety of property portfolios. The plots demand from investor’s side in business and trade developments will coincide with the demand of the residential complex entrepreneurs segment, to which there will be more and more interest.
The European regulations will assure the needed quality and security of the products. The price of the increased standards and quality of materials as well as the increase of the labour wages and the accompanying expenses like electricity are expected to increase the development prices by 5% during 2007.
According to experts the competition demand sector of land will increase its price and in its turn will lead to an increase of the price of properties.
Besides the local demand, important factor is the interest of Bulgarian emigrants and foreign national retired people as well, who are going to look for opportunities to buy a property in Bulgaria. And the increased number of touroperators, who work in the country will pump-up the rental market.
All these factors will ensure good potential for the future development of the sector despite the opinion of other analysts who recon that the boom of the property sector which is expected during 2007 to end during 2010.
According to Veronica Castro, market analyst of Obelisk International, present investors will favour from the Bulgarian EU accession as well as the ones which will step in the market after 2007 and the growth will continue for the next few years.
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THE LAST HURDLE CLEARED
Date: 2006-12-04
29 November 2006 AFP
Bulgaria and Romania have cleared the last hurdle to joining the EU next year, the European Commission announced, after the German parliament ratified their entry into the club.
"I welcome today's vote in the German Bundesrat (upper house) on the accession treaty of Bulgaria and Romania, which completes the ratification process in Germany. It also completes the ratification process as a whole in the EU, since all the parliaments of the 25 member states and both acceding countries have now ratified the treaty," said EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn.
"This finalizes the last legal step for the accession of the two countries. Thus I welcome Bulgaria and Romania as new member states in our Union on 1 January 2007."
The upper house of the German parliament added the same caveat to the accessions as the lower house, the Bundestag, had when it voted in favour of the new members last month.
The assembly has called for a protective clause to ensure that EU standards in justice and crime fighting are adhered to, but called for the measures to apply when the two countries join in January, thus ensuring that the matter would not delay membership.
The news was also hailed in Bucharest and Sofia.
Friday's vote represented "proof that the interest of the EU in Romania's entry and the completion of our efforts," said Romanian Foreign Minister Razvan Ungureanu in Bucharest.
"We see it as recognition of the efforts which Bulgaria has made to fulfill" its obligations, said a Bulgarian foreign affairs spokesman.
Both incoming nations were worried some months ago about the time it was taking some countries to ratify their memberships.
Some, including France, Denmark and Germany waited until the autumn to adopt the necessary adhesion protocol to keep up the pressure on the two countries to make further progress.
While the Bulgarians and Romanians will become full members of the club on January 1, they will do so under close scrutiny.
The Commission, the EU's executive arm, in September eschewed the possibility of delaying membership for a year, choosing instead to impose the strictest conditions for any new members.
These concern the areas where Sofia and Bucharest are deemed most deficient; the judicial system, management of EU funding and food safety. Air security is another issue but only for Bulgaria, according to a recent Commission report.
Sanctions in these areas will be available to the Commission and fellow EU states for three years after admission.
The member states could refuse to recognize Romanian or Bulgarian judicial decisions or could partially suspend farm aid to the pair.
Between now and January 1, the EU still has to tidy up the institutional paperwork, in particular the acceptance of the future Bulgarian and Romanian EU Commissioners -- each nation is allocated one portfolio.
The two commissioners-designate -- Bulgarian Meglena Kouneva will take the consumer protection brief and Romanian Leonard Orban will become commissioner for multilingualism -- will appear before the relevant European parliamentary committees on Monday.
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ANNUAL BALANCING OF A LIMITED COMPANY IN BULGARIA
Date: 2006-11-28
“SUNNY VILLAS” Agency reminds all its clients, who have registered companies in Bulgaria in 2006 that they are subject to annual balancing in connection with the regulations of the Corporate Income Taxation Act. The financial year is considered from 01.01 to 31.12 and the tax return should be submitted no later than 31.03. The taxes must be paid within a period of 15 days as of the date of submitting the tax return. Your company, operational or not during the tax period, must submit a tax return. The fine for failure to fulfil this obligation is 2500 lv. You, as Managers or shareholders (associates) in these companies, are personally responsible to make sure these documents are submitted on time to the respective tax authorities and offices.
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Bulgaria is world's top property hot spot
Date: 2006-06-01
Bulgaria has moved to the top of a table of global property hotspots, with Cyprus a close second and France third, according to the latest Assetz Property Investment Tracker. Conversely, Assetz said investors in both South Africa and Florida should beware of rising interest rates and plummeting returns. The data reveals that in the first quarter of 2006, Bulgaria has stormed past Cyprus to the top of the hotspot table, offering a staggering 116% return on cash invested. Deposit levels of 30% are easily accessible to most investors due to the relatively cheap property, with a typical two-bedroom apartment costing in the region of £80,000. Bulgaria is now establishing a stable resale market and proving it has staying power as an investment destination. Although the level of house price growth is expected to tail off slightly during the remainder of 2006, Assetz predicts that overall market growth will remain high, alongside excellent yields of 12% in quality areas such as seaside resorts near Varna and Bourgas.
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Bulgaria to join the EU in 2007
Date: 2006-05-22
The European Enlargement Commission announced yesterday that Bulgaria will become the 26th member of the European Union next year. The official date of entry will be confirmed this October. The exciting news has been warmly received here in the Capital, Sofia, with everyone looking forward to 2007. Bulgaria has been working hard to meet the strict requirements for entry into the European Union, and this news will see them rewarded for all their efforts.
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Bulgaria - Leader in Real Estate Yields
Date: 2006-04-03
Bulgaria was declared top overseas property hotspot in a London consultancy ranking that compared the total return on cash in real estate markets.
With yields rising to 12 per cent and capital gains remaining impressive at 36 per cent, Assetz assessed the total return on cash invested in Bulgaria at 116 per cent last year.
This statistic has pushed Bulgaria above Cyprus in the chart for total returns on cash invested, backing up the popular claim that Bulgaria is now comparable to Spain in the 1980s.
While experts have been predicting for a number of years that Bulgaria will emerge as a leading choice for investors, the new research firmly positions the country at the top of the chart, says Stuart Law, managing director of Assetz.
The Assetz research suggests that the steep incline in house price increases will level off to some extent before the year's end, but market growth is expected to remain high.
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NEW PACKAGE OF SERVICES – PROFESSIONAL HEALTHCARE SERVICE
Date: 2006-03-13
SUNNY VILLAS Real Estate Agency offers all its clients a new package of services concerning the healthcare of foreign citizens. The package that we offer can be provided to all our current customers as well as to the potential ones. The set of medical services and procedures, examinations and manipulations can be arranged according to your individual needs. The Agency already offers a variety of fixed sets and packages of medical manipulations, checks and laboratory analyses and examinations initially in the area of Burgas District.
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BECOME A PART OF THE UNIQUE ATMOSPHERE OF THE METROPOLIS ISTANBUL
Date: 2006-03-13
Istanbul - it is the only city in the world that expands on two continents and there is no other town in the world history being the capital city of two totally different empires – Roman and Ottoman. In the history of the metropolis, one can sense the presence of so many nationalities as though the History of Mankind is focused there. The Legend says that Byzas was a Greek colonist from the Doric colony of Megara in Ancient Greece, who consulted the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. The oracle instructed Byzas to settle down opposite the "Land of the Blind". Leading a group of Megarian colonists, Byzas found a superb location opposite Chalcedon on the mouth of the Bosphorus Strait. He assumed that Chalcedonians must have been blind not to recognize the advantages the land on the European side of the Bosphorus had over the Asiatic side. Byzas founded Byzantium on the European side in 667 BC, completing thus the oracle's quest. The location of Byzantium attracted Constantine the Great who, in 330 AD, re-founded it as Nova Roma or Constantinople after himself upon a prophetic dream was said to have determined the location of the city. The Eastern Roman Empire, which had its capital city in Constantinople from that time and until 1453, has often been called the Byzantine Empire or Byzantium by modern scholars. Situated in a strategic position, Constantinople was able to control the route between Asia and Europe, as well as the passage from the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea…
The management of SUNNY VILLAS Real Estate Agency in Istanbul has held successful negotiations with tourist agencies in Istanbul, and we are ready to offer from our office in Burgas, Bulgaria a booking possibility for a sightseeing package, operated by a choice of tour-operator companies. This opportunity gives you a chance to walk the way of a legend, combining the spirit of the Orient and the cosmopolitism of the metropolis of Istanbul.
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ENJOY NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Date: 2006-02-14
“SUNNY VILLAS” Estate Agency informs its clients that from 01.05.2006 the low cost airline company WIZZ AIR launches a regular flight from Luton airport to Bourgas airport. Prices will start from 42 pounds with airport taxes and charges included.
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR PURCHASE OF PROPERTIES IN TURKEY
Date: 2006-02-13
The representative agency of “SUNNY VILLAS” in Istanbul – Republic of Turkey, will be able to offer the clients of the Agency opportunities for purchase of properties in Turkey in the very near future.
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NEW PROJECTS IN BULGARIA
Date: 2006-02-10
“SUNNY VILLAS” Estate Agency is negotiating with its partners the offers of new projects regarding residential building on the beautiful southern Black Sea region.
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NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVESTMENT IN THE NORTHERN BLACK SEA REGION
Date: 2006-02-09
“SUNNY VILLAS” Estate Agency has the pleasure to offer it clients opportunities for purchase of properties located close to an exceptionally picturesque place in Northeastern Bulgaria.
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LUXURIOUS FLATS ON THE BLACK SEA COAST
Date: 2006-02-08
“SUNNY VILLAS” Agency has the pleasure to present to its clients its luxurious flats that are part of newly constructed blocks of flats, located on the very Black Sea coast.
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LUXURIOUS HOUSES IN ISTANBUL
Date: 2006-02-02
The office of “SUNNY VILLAS” in Istanbul brings to the attention of the clients of the Agency a great choice of one-family houses, located in separate and differentiated luxurious parts of Istanbul.
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Bansko |
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The mushrooming golf clubs throughout Bulgaria come as an alternative to the concrete sins on the Bulgarian Black sea cost.
This is the conclusion of the German DPA Agency, which made its own examination on the theme. The new golf club in Ravno Pole village, located on 25 kilometers from Bulgarian capital Sofia is presently turning into regular destination for the tourists, looking for tranquility. The golf club is visited by more and more Sofia citizens, diplomats and foreign contractors. According to the DPA Agency the golf clubs with luxurious hotels and modern SPA - facilities will improve the tourism image of Bulgaria, associated in Europe mainly with the cheap Black Sea vacation.
There are still 19 golf playgrounds more presently being built, one of which estimated on the amount of 50 million EUR - the future Golf & SPA complex in Pravets town, the birth town of former communist President of Bulgaria Todor Zhivkov. Specialists consider the strong investment interest will bring the construction of round 40 golf playgrounds in the country. The Bulgarian government also approves the intentions Bulgaria to be turned into international destination for golf tourism. There are excellent climate conditions in Bulgaria and the scenery is extremely attractive.
After the construction boom on the sea coast, the upcoming summer will show is still the tourism in Bulgaria capable to escape the sins of concrete and to return to nature, the specialized tourism editions comment. World - wide famous Black sea coasts and ski resorts in Southern Bulgaria have attracted more than 5 million tourists in common for the last 2007 year. The amount of tourists from EU have raised with 50 %. Incomes of tourism for Bulgaria have reached the record to the moment 2, 3 billion EUR - raise of 11% compared to the previous year. The State Agency of Tourism expects 10% raise for 2008 too. |
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The extreme tourism turns to be one of the latest hits of the tourism agencies,
Over 12,000 Bulgarians on different age showed interest towards possibilities for extreme experience and rest among the beautiful Bulgarian nature in April.
For the moment the most requested extreme activity is rafting - dropping by the fast waters of Struma river in Kresna gorge.
The mix of rafting plus the emotions of riding horses in Pirin Mountain also attracts the attention of many tourists.
Horse passage in the Rhodope's village of Trigrad (South - Eastern Rhodopes), Vratsa Balkan (Western Stara Planina Mountain) and the Aidushko gathering place in Troyan Balkan (Central Stara Planina) are among the favorite tourism destinations of the adventurous tourists.
Many people are also ready to climb down with a rope in a waterfall, to enter on a boat in a cave, rowing among the water cave galleries./www.news.bg/ |
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Germans started to book again holidays in Bulgaria after a two-year withdrawal, Dnevnik daily reported
The signals came from the last week's International Tourism Bourse (ITB), the annual business-to-business industry event, reminded from the daily.
Tourism experts said German bookings in Bulgaria should see a 5% increase up to 400,000 in 2008.
Seaside Burgas and Varna airports' data showed that 390,000 German tourists came to the country on trips arranged by tour operators.
The total number of Germans that landed in the two airports was 600,000.
Round 4 years ago, the number of German holiday-makers peaked, but was followed by a significant drop as the German economy slowed down and the quality of tourist services in Bulgaria worsened.
The tour operator expects to book Bulgarian holidays for 140,000 German tourists in 2008, comparing to the 120,000 last year. |
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Tourism 2007
Bulgaria’s first year as an EU-member state has had a favorable impact on its tourist image. The interest in our country has been rising as well as the flow of tourists from other countries. Over 4 million foreign residents took a winter or summer vacation in Bulgaria in 2006, which is about 7% up on 2006. EU citizens account for more than 70% of foreign tourists to Bulgaria, notably Greece, Germany, UK, Sweden and Finland. Over the last 12 months the number of tourists from the latter country shot up by 30%. And yet, Bulgarian tourism, dubbed until quite recently “the Balkan Tiger”, has been running at a low tide compared with preceding years.
This made itself painfully prominent as early as the start of the 2007 season. For the first time in many years, in mid-July, quite a few newly built hotels in the country’s Black Sea resorts found themselves unoccupied. Hoteliers’ best bet was to slash overnight charges, which entailed in its turn an unprecedented and fierce competition in the branch. In the month of August, a traditional peak in high season bookings, the tourist reflux was compensated for with fresh holiday bookings from EU and neighbouring countries.
Experts explain the alarming occurrence with a runaway sprawl of building developments- hotels, vacation villages, golf grounds, night entertainment outlets- which has totally thwarted Bulgaria’s image as a holiday destination, offering delightful family perks, unspoilt nature among them. An all-time high number of hotels and entertainment places-1800- were built in the first seven months of the year. And yet, an increasing number of people in Bulgaria are becoming aware that tourism does not necessarily mean only luxury accommodation, round-the-clock entertainment and cheap liquor. Tourist operators are beginning to opt for well paying clients who’d really like to see and appreciate the true values of Bulgaria; tourists would not fall for cheap tour packages on the Black Sea and would like instead to go deep inland to explore monasteries, medieval fortresses and the national heritage. In 2007, a great number of municipalities across the country drafted and carries through with EU funds projects on sustainable tourist development. Setting up eco and trekking trails and routes, revival of local folklore and traditional crafts and restoration of rundown old monasteries have been only but few of enterprising arrangements to advertise the respective regions as attractive tourist destinations. Rural tourism gained in popularity in 2007 too. Rural vacations usually offer, as well as accommodation with village families, horseback rides, jeep-safaris and get-to-know -the- place treks to natural sites or trips to cultural and historical sites.
In 2007 many foreigners, mostly from UK, bought houses or flats in Bulgaria, some of them to live in Bulgarian villages or small towns in their retirement or use them as holiday villas. Entire communities of ex-pats have emerged in mountain areas or at the Black Sea. Newly-built luxury flats or villas at the Black Sea appear to be much sought after as they come cheapest in EU. The owners of such properties, coming mostly from EU countries and Russia use them either as summer retreats or turn them into holiday lets at relatively prices, underbidding the local market.
Traditionally, Bulgaria’s biggest skiing resorts are most favoured by Britons. Scandinavians, Russians and tourists from neighbouring Balkans like coming to Bulgaria for skiing holidays too. |
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