Study visit in Burgas region, Bulgaria
Study visit hold on 22nd of May was organized to introduce with good practices of senior
tourism development in Burgas region, Bulgaria. During the visit five places were evaluated
to choose the best good practices from all the partners` regions.
The village of Brashlian is an architectural and historical reserve since 1982 (there are 76
houses – cultural and architectural monuments, 9 of them are with National meaning, 22
regional and the rest with local meaning). The village of Brashlian is located at 11 km to the
northwest of Malko Tarnovo and 4 kilometres away from the Turkish border.
Administratively part of Malko Tarnovo municipality. Strandzha National Park is lying on the
border of Turkey and Bulgaria. It has received the title in 1995, currently having the biggest
territory among Bulgarian national parks. The village was predicted to become depopulated
by 2000, but in the 90s 15 early pensioner families moved backed from large industrial
centres to Brashlian (currently about 50 permanent inhabitants and 50 temporary). They
started to renovate public buildings and using their houses as guest houses for tourists. Also
the Directorate of Strandzha National Park, which is a member of BRTA, is active on the field
of project development not only in nature protection, but also in tourism. The attraction of
the village is the St. Demetrius church and the church school next to it. The first
developments were coordinated by an association of local people having 20 members
(currently 5 members). Still the association has a main role in the coordination of the tourism
activities in the village. They have an own bookkeeper and the money transaction and
tourism management go mainly through the association. Through a private investment a
hotel was opened recently following the architectural traditions of the village having 40 beds.
The guest houses run by private persons can accommodate up to 60 beds. Most of the
visitors are coming from the hotels of Sunny Beach in organized groups (annually 10-11
thousands). The recently developed hotel is providing accessible solutions for visitors. Many
Bulgarians rent/own summer cottages in the village which increases the amount of
temporary inhabitants. Activities such as hiking and hunting can be practiced on the area.
Typical local food, drinks and folkloric traditions were presented by the members of the
association in the traditional restaurant of the village. The activities were presented to
partners by the village Mayor and the tourism management and coordination in the village
Brashlian is one of the suggested good practices from Burgas area.
More information on Strandzha National Park: http://www.strandja.bg/en/ (only available in
Bulgarian)
During the travel to Sozopol a promotion film on the city was presented to the participants.
The city itself has a long cultural tradition dating back to the 5th century. The Island of St.
Ivan next to Sozopol was a protective place for the monks of the monastery under the
Turkish age. The vice mayor presented at the town hall the touristic and social investments of
the city. Tourism is a key industry of the city, but they are providing free kindergarten,
support for families with babies, and special services for old people. Sozopol has 12600
inhabitants in 12 settlements. There are many active senior clubs in the city and they were
presented as examples of the Burgas pensioner’s club good practice of TOURAGE project
which highlights the role of seniors in producing services for the tourists but also organizing
tourism activities to the member seniors. Denka Todorova, the director of the Cultural House
of Sozopol which is coordinating the pensioners’ clubs listed the main activities organized for
them: dancing, folklore, pop music, theater, and these groups are regularly representing
Sozopol to tourists.
The Bulgarian Greek Club is a special pensioners’ club. Established 21 years ago the main goal
is to protect cultural traditions and present them to future generations. They regularly
organize for members recreation and tourism visits to Greece, and also welcome Greek
groups in Sozopol.
The Bulgarka Club of retired officers from Bulgarian Army was established 4 years ago. They
organize singing activities, welcoming tourist groups, presenting wedding traditions.
For questions it was explained that the clubs have male and female members. The financing
is coming from sponsors, donations and membership fee of members.
During a walk in the city the director of the museum of Sozopol presented the excavations of
the city in the last years and the main findings (fortress wall, old church, monastery building).
The visitors of the ancient reliefs are a diverse group, especially a middle age grave of the
Sozopol Vampire excavated last year made the Sozopol city popular for younger tourists. The
museum financed by the EAA/Norway grants has all accessible solutions, such as elevators
and wheelchair ramps, for disabled and senior visitors.
Further information on Sozopol municipality: http://sozopol.bg/
After the lunch break in Sozopol the study visit group travelled to Pomorie, where the Good
Practice Special Health Program in the “Specialized Hospital for Rehabilitation-NK” was
presented. The hospital is specialized on mud therapy. They have 180 beds for state financed
patients, and apartments for private patients mainly from Russia. They have specialized
services for disabled people in a separate building. For a 7 days state financed therapy the
own contribution is 60 BGN/person (about 30 €/person). A private patient has to pay 60 BGN
(~30 €) per day. The procedures are not only used by hospital guests but also other
customers. Annually 7500 patients are treated, 63% of the patients are 55+, 30% are 67+.
130 people are employed in the hospital. 300 000 procedures are done annually. The hospital
is state owned, branch of a national rehabilitation hospital network.
Next to the rehabilitation hospital a five star hotel Grand Hotel Pomorie opened its gates in
2006. The hotel is owned by 2 private (Russian and Bulgarian) investors. The guests are
mainly coming from Russia (60%), but also from Germany (20%), Bulgaria and Romania. It is
the biggest spa center of the Black Sea shore. Specific salt water and mud therapies - same as
in the visited hospital - are provided for the guests (altogether 45 different procedures,
including specific Bulgarian procedures with milk, yoghurt, honey and roses). 80% of guests
are from the so called third age, in other words seniors. Many tourists are coming back after
their first visit. The daily rate of service including accommodation, food and therapies is 200
BGN (~100 €) on an average. The reservations for the 200 rooms are done individually, less
group tourists than at the beginning of operation. 4 rooms are especially designed for
disabled people, although the spa area was not fully accessible (pools are not accessible with
a wheelchair). Some of the treatments for Bulgarians are paid by the government through
the National Social Security Institution. In the off-season the prices are lower, but they are
not offering specific packages for seniors - but nevertheless 80 % of customers are seniors.
They employ 250 people, but in season even more. The hotel hosted this year the
international spa congress of the European Spa Association. The visit to the hotel concretized
the variation in supply between the hospital like rehabilitation services and hotel
surroundings.
Further information on Pomorie: http://www.pomorie.bg
The website of the Grand Hotel Pomorie: http://grandhotelpomorie.com/en_spa_wellness_hotel/
After a travel to Sunny Beach, a tourist complex of the Black Sea shore of Burgas region, the
director of Sunny Beach Pls and 3 hotel representatives presented Sunny Beach and its
services for the seniors.The first registered tourists arrived in 1959, today 137 hotels having
59840 beds. Important element that Sunny Beach is working closely with the nearby
historical city of the sea shore, Nessebar.
Hotel representatives explained the seasonality of Sunny Beach and those activities how they
try to prolong season. Especially a new programme designed for Austrian pensioners in the
pre-season can make a change. 15000 seniors will arrive until the end of May 2013 for the
first time this year to use the services of Sunny Beach. It is coordinated by Senora Reisen, and
4 hotels are contracted. Specific 7 days programmes are offered including cultural activities.
Sunny Beach is more leisure and holiday oriented than Pomorie which offers more health
services. There are legal obligations for accessibility but they are not specialized for that. All
quality level from hostels to five star accommodation is provided for guests arriving mainly
from Russia, Eastern European countries, Scandinavia, Central Europe.There are discount
programmes in off-season offering free nights and free spa services for guests. They
mentioned that there is a big responsibility for tour operators to present off-season
opportunities also for tourists.
The marketing strategy of sunny Beach has recently changed. There is a better focus from
young people to families and elderly people, who are spending money on cultural activities
not only on leisure activities. This would provide possibility for entrepreneurs to diversify
their services and products. The segments are changing in many hotels, Arabic, Israeli,
Russian guests are in a growing number. In order to support these groups a easier visa
administration system for visitors should be developed. The marketing is shared between
business organisations, associations and the government.
Direct flight is offered only during high season, which decreases the amount of tourists
during the off-season in the area. Regional stakeholders and entrepreneurs are hoping that
direct flights during the offseason would be offered in the future too to diversify the supply.
From summer 2013 the highway between Sofia and Bourgas will be completed which can
increase the tourist flows to the area since it becomes more accessible (Sofia and Plovdiv
airport could be reached more easily).
Further information on Sunny Beach: http://www.sunny-beach.com/