Tour operators evaluated the results of the summer season on the Bulgarian direction

Tour operators summed up the results of the season-2018 in Bulgaria and named possible conditions for growth in sales on the direction next year. Sales of Bulgaria in autumn season are still going well, but some seasonal special offers will not be enough for the growth of mass summer tourism. The season 2018 for tour operators on Bulgarian direction was difficult. The demand was influenced by a number of difficult-to-forecast factors. Among them, the growth of euro against ruble, the rise in the cost of aviation fuel, a decrease in the level of incomes of the population, as well as World Cup 2018, because of which a part of tourists stay at home. As a result, "the proposal on the direction was much higher than the demand", - explained Anna Filatovskaya, PR-director of ICS Travel Group operator. Full statistics concerning the summer period is absent in Bulgarian official sources yet. Nevertheless, according to monthly data of NSI, the tourist flow from Russia has decreased. So, if in June 2017 145 thousand Russian citizens visited Bulgaria, in June 2018 – only 133 thousand (a fall of 8.3%). In July the decline was even greater: - 16% (131 thousand Russian visits against 156 thousand a year earlier). Turkey, which offered a good price-quality ratio for hotels 5* on all-inclusive basis, has drawn a part of tourists from the direction (in Bulgaria the offer in this segment is limited and at the same time it popular among Russians). "In this season, we have registered the growth of demand only for tours to Albena and Dunes - two resorts, which operate primarily on "all inclusive" basis. They sold very well during early booking action and were almost 100% closed by the main season", - states Dimvet Tsonev, general director of Solvex operator. "The growth of fuel price and weakening of ruble have increased the cost of tours to Bulgaria. And against good budget proposals for Greece, tourists chose mainly Greece", - adds Mr. Tsonev.