Since the beginning of July, a special advertising campaign of the Bulgarian tourist product has been under way in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, State Agency on Tourism (SAT) President Anelia Kroushkova said. The campaign costs 1 million leva and will continue until September 1.

Kroushkova reported that as of June the number of tourists visiting Bulgaria decreased 7.4 per cent from the like period of last year. There is an increase in visitors from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Moldova, Israel, and Lithuania. In Russia there are more issued visas, but a large part of visitors from that country have residential units here and do not use the services of tour operators and hotels, Kroushkova commented.

There is a serious decline - 35 per cent - of visitors from the United Kingdom. According to Kroushkova, the figure is not very precise because many people from the UK have bought apartments in Bulgaria and will use them to spend their holidays here. Kroushkova reported a drop in the number of visitors from Germany, Macedonia and Serbia. She said SAT is considering a serious advertising campaign for the forthcoming winter season in order to overcome the effects of the crisis.

Kroushkova was in Varna together with International Hotel and Restaurant Association President Ghassan Aidi. Approached by journalists, Aidi said the sector should not panic at current difficulties. According to him, the crisis will be overcome in 2010 or at the beginning of 2011 at the latest. Aidi said any country can become an attractive destination, provided that it offers good services. According to him, it is not advisable for hoteliers to reduce prices, but it is good to offer more bonuses to their guests.

Source: BTA