THE closing of the 2004 tourist summer season featured an unexpected growth of 80 per cent in EU holidaymakers, great interest in alternative forms of travelling, interest from Spanish tour operators, and the start of the Promotion Bulgaria project's communication strategy which emphasises tourism.

The latest data shows that Bulgaria was visited by 3.8 million foreign tourists from the beginning of the year to September, an increase of more than 17 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year.

"Summer 2004 season was successful and Bulgaria was visited by almost 4 million tourists, 80 per cent of which from the EU," said Deputy Prime Minister Plamen Panayotov.

Deputy Economy Minister Dimitar Hadjinikolov, who is in charge of the tourism portfolio, said that among foreign visitors Germany occupies the lead with 535 075 tourists, followed by Greece with 492 625 holidaymakers.

"Bulgaria is a dynamically developing destination for the tourist market of the UK and 50 000 British tourists have chosen to come on vacation during the summer season," said Bogdan Hristov, representative of First Choice and Cosmos British tour operators.

Compared to this statistics the 3500 visitors from Spain seem to be a very humble number (January-June period), however, their growth for the same period was 43 per cent.

One of the reasons for the increase interest for Bulgaria among Spanish people might be the traditionally good relations and Bulgaria being quoted by World Tourism Organisation as an attractive destination.

There have been over 300 Spanish tourists who have spent 2300 nights in Bulgaria this summer as part of the attractive and innovative Nostalgia Express programme with accent on the cultural and historical heritage of Bulgaria. The trip, which representatives of 16 leading tourist operators from Spain attended, finished on October 11 in Sofia (see picture). The travelers all from Viajes El Monte, Coordinacion Grupo I.T.C., ATI Viajes Sevilla, Viajes Caja Avila, Viajes Caja Circulo de Burgos, Viajes la Caja Tours Canarias, Viajes Caja Murcia) have enjoyed a promotional and informational two-hour trip with the Nostalgia Express, which will be presented to tourists by Aero Travel next year, too. All companies form part of Spain's largest tour operator network C.M.C. (Central Mayorista de Cajas arrived with Corona Express, carriages and a locomotive produced in 1943 by Schwatzkopf-Berlin in Sofia sharing that it is a trip to remember.

"This summer season was the most successful one in the last 20 years. The last Regular Report of the European Commission said that Bulgaria had improved its competitiveness," Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Lydia Shuleva said at the closing of the tourism season in Nessebar, quoting the World Tourism Organisation data that Bulgaria had been listed among the attractive world's tourist destinations.

"Tourism will be one of the important parts of Bulgaria's image after the country accedes the EU," it will continue to be a priority for Bulgarian economy, and the Government will increase further the private sector's economic freedom," Panayotov said on October 9 during a discussion on "Development of Bulgarian Tourism: Competitive Advantages and Challenges".