site.btaBulgaria Loses Lv 120 Mln in Annual Revenues due to Poor Development of Mount Vitosha as Tourist Destination

Bulgaria Loses Lv 120 Mln in Annual Revenues due to Poor Development of Mount Vitosha as Tourist Destination

Sofia, January 30 (BTA) - Bulgaria loses 120 million leva in annual revenues due to the poor development of Mount Vitosha as a tourist destination, Roumen Draganov, Director of the Tourism Analysis and Assessment Institute, told BTA . The outdated equipment in a mountain which has become a battlefield for unwholesome interests has alienated visitors, thus causing the city of Sofia to lose 6,000 potential hotel beds, Draganov estimated.

"Vitosha is a clear example of neglect for property, which in many cases is public property. It is not only run-down but is also managed in a way which makes it unsafe for people to use," the expert said.

According to him, the solution lies in the regulation of ownership. "This is necessary because the four municipalities owning the mountain refuse to manage it and because the concessionaires have evidently neglected their property and have failed to run it for the benefit of society," he said.

Draganov called for the adoption of a law to regulate the establishment of tourist areas, as is the case in many other European countries. This would facilitate the management of such areas, especially when the terrain is rather irregular. While Bulgarian legislation offers definitions of pastures, wood-cutting areas and hunting farms, it lacks a definition of the term "tourist area," he noted. "A tourist area should have clear borders and the possible activities in it should be regulated so that nature can be conserved and developed sustainably and the life and health of the people staying there can be protected," Draganov said.

"Even with the existing facilities - which, however, need to be brought up to the standards of the 21st century and the relevant legal regulations - the mountain could become a source of revenues and an attractive year-round destination," he argued.