site.btaTourist Sector Reports 2% Growth since Early 2015

Tourist Sector Reports 2% Growth since Early 2015

Sofia, September 11 (BTA) - The tourist sector reports around 2
per cent growth since the beginning of the year, which is mostly
 due to the high number of tourists in July and August and the
numerous festivals, Roumen Draganov, Director of the Institute
for Analyses and Assessments, told BTA on Friday. In his
opinion, the strong season for cultural tourism compensates for
the low revenues in the sea tourism.

In January-July, around 117,612 Russians less entered the
country year-on-year as their number is expected to reach
150,000 by the year's end, which is a 20 per cent drop, said
Draganov. Yet, this drop is compensated by tourists from other
countries.

According to Draganov, the upcoming winter season is expected to
 be good as there were around 1,500 bookings already at the end
of the last season, mostly from the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The higher interest is mostly due to the weakening of the euro
compared to the pound, which resulted in some 30 per cent fall
of prices of the winter holiday at early booking.
        
The migration pressure will exert an impact on tourism in the EU
 because the people, arriving in the European countries, are
using elements of their tourist services, Draganov commented.
Besides, the migrants will be treated as tourists because -
under the Bulgarian legislation - every foreigner who  stays in
the country for more than 24 hours, acquires the status of
tourist. Draganov noted that in the wake of the latest
developments related to the refugee flow, the whole concept
about incoming and outgoing  passenger flow has to be
restructured.