The two most important tourist exhibitions, in Berlin and Moscow, are over and it should be clear what could be expected from Summer 2009. The branch, however, is unanimous: it is still early to make forecasts as this year things happen at the last minute.
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There is delay of registrations and the term for early reservations with discount was extended to the end of April for the Germans and to the end of May for the Russians. As foreign markets are uncertain and slumps are expected, the business turned to the native, Bulgarian tourist. The last idea that met with a response was for the state to pay half of the lodging expenses of those civil servants that spend their holiday in the country. I call on the business to think of a similar scheme for its employees, Vetko Arabadjiev, chairman of the Union of Investors in Tourism, commented.
I expect a 15-percent drop of tourists, Elza Radkova, executive director of Diuni holiday complex, said. Holiday-makers from the UK will be by some 30% less compared to 2008. It will be a tough season, to describe it in one word, she added.
In 2008, expenses of hotel-keepers rose by 48% as a result of the increased prices of foodstuffs, alcohol and labour. For the first time, this year the incomes from native tourists are expected to be higher than that of foreign tourists. Camping tourism, however, will not be affected by the crisis, as 80% of the campers are wealthy tourists.
by Darina Cherkezova
