The only Bulgarian Association for Alternative Tourism (BAAT) organized a one week trip for journalists to promote its long-term project for intelligent and village tourism in the country.
Lyubomir Popyordanov, chairman of BAAT, explained that the idea of the association was to become part of the global eco-tourism industry that is already popular in North America. Participants of the tour discovered that there is a great difference between the so-called pleasure tourism which is oriented towards food and drink, and eco-tourism.
Tourists should be involved with living through what tourist brochures describe, not just seeing it in the colourful pictures advertised, said Popyordanov.
The trip covered seven different villages and gave a feeling of closeness to nature. Participants encountered village roads, hill paths, old houses and had the chance to go walking and mountaineering. The trip began with the Vratsa eco-trail and the Ledenika caves.
This has been an example of how tourism should be in the future, said Popyordanov.
BAAT is a non-governmental tourist organization that was established as a group of tour operators, hoteliers, independent regional and national ecological NGOs, several national parks and local authorities. The main purpose of BAAT is to assist the development of sustainable forms of tourism in the mountains, villages and protected areas in order to retain their authentic atmosphere.
The Glozhen Monastery and the Dryanovo eco-trail made up the second day of the trip. All the monasteries, ancient places and trails were part of BAATs selection of virgin places for Village Eco Tourism.
Alternative tourism does not supply tourists with luxurious hotels and comfort but takes them back in time. The journalists were accommodated in a 200-year-old house in the village of Kovachevitsa. Timelessness haunted the place where homemade brandy and loaded vines were hanging over the long conversations until late at night, said Popyordanov.
Their bus was welcomed just like at any other time when newcomers arrived. Children recited their favorite poems and local citizens offered flat bread with salt as a symbol of their hospitability. That is the way people always behave when visitors arrive. They enjoy communicating with tourists because that is how they feel a part of the country, he said.
The week was filled with real life itineraries. Participants visited peoples homes to see them preparing jars of roasted peppers for winter storage in their cellars.
BAATs ambition is to expand educational tourism, where information is picked up from experience. The notion of the village has some negative connotations due to the Bulgarian peoples past. The people originated from villages and the fact that they do not want to make any references to it contradicts any understanding of their culture, said Popyordanov.
He added that attractive things could be found at all levels. The lack of street lights, the home made brandy drunk under vines loaded with grapes, and horses and carts in the centre of the villages remind city tourists of how people used to live much closer to nature.
The Vratsa path was made for walking to the heart of the Vratsa Balkan Mountain. The villages of Kmetitsa and Bozhenci and the Kapsuzovi Houses with their interiors and furniture impressed everyone and took them on a trip into the past of the village people.
The adventurous part of the trip was the climb to Haramiiska Cave together with the opportunity of horse riding and cycling.
The idea of the organizers is to offer a regular tour of places with nature that remains unspoilt by humanity.
The Negovan and Krushuna eco-trails are situated in the flatlands and hilly regions of the country and have been included on the tours itinerary. They are located in the Negovanka river canyon and in the Krushuna limestone cascade. Bulgarias mountainous regions are represented by the Trun and Vratza eco-trails together with the Kopren eco-trails in the higher southern Rhodope Mountains. According to BAAT, they are included because they have waterfalls and picturesque rock formations as well as a variety of biological species.
The distances range from a few-hours to a two-day walk, which means that children and the elderly can also enjoy the eco-trails. There are places for breaks and picnics as well as an observation platform.
Lyubomir Popyordanov, chairman of BAAT, explained that the idea of the association was to become part of the global eco-tourism industry that is already popular in North America. Participants of the tour discovered that there is a great difference between the so-called pleasure tourism which is oriented towards food and drink, and eco-tourism.
Tourists should be involved with living through what tourist brochures describe, not just seeing it in the colourful pictures advertised, said Popyordanov.
The trip covered seven different villages and gave a feeling of closeness to nature. Participants encountered village roads, hill paths, old houses and had the chance to go walking and mountaineering. The trip began with the Vratsa eco-trail and the Ledenika caves.
This has been an example of how tourism should be in the future, said Popyordanov.
BAAT is a non-governmental tourist organization that was established as a group of tour operators, hoteliers, independent regional and national ecological NGOs, several national parks and local authorities. The main purpose of BAAT is to assist the development of sustainable forms of tourism in the mountains, villages and protected areas in order to retain their authentic atmosphere.
The Glozhen Monastery and the Dryanovo eco-trail made up the second day of the trip. All the monasteries, ancient places and trails were part of BAATs selection of virgin places for Village Eco Tourism.
Alternative tourism does not supply tourists with luxurious hotels and comfort but takes them back in time. The journalists were accommodated in a 200-year-old house in the village of Kovachevitsa. Timelessness haunted the place where homemade brandy and loaded vines were hanging over the long conversations until late at night, said Popyordanov.
Their bus was welcomed just like at any other time when newcomers arrived. Children recited their favorite poems and local citizens offered flat bread with salt as a symbol of their hospitability. That is the way people always behave when visitors arrive. They enjoy communicating with tourists because that is how they feel a part of the country, he said.
The week was filled with real life itineraries. Participants visited peoples homes to see them preparing jars of roasted peppers for winter storage in their cellars.
BAATs ambition is to expand educational tourism, where information is picked up from experience. The notion of the village has some negative connotations due to the Bulgarian peoples past. The people originated from villages and the fact that they do not want to make any references to it contradicts any understanding of their culture, said Popyordanov.
He added that attractive things could be found at all levels. The lack of street lights, the home made brandy drunk under vines loaded with grapes, and horses and carts in the centre of the villages remind city tourists of how people used to live much closer to nature.
The Vratsa path was made for walking to the heart of the Vratsa Balkan Mountain. The villages of Kmetitsa and Bozhenci and the Kapsuzovi Houses with their interiors and furniture impressed everyone and took them on a trip into the past of the village people.
The adventurous part of the trip was the climb to Haramiiska Cave together with the opportunity of horse riding and cycling.
The idea of the organizers is to offer a regular tour of places with nature that remains unspoilt by humanity.
The Negovan and Krushuna eco-trails are situated in the flatlands and hilly regions of the country and have been included on the tours itinerary. They are located in the Negovanka river canyon and in the Krushuna limestone cascade. Bulgarias mountainous regions are represented by the Trun and Vratza eco-trails together with the Kopren eco-trails in the higher southern Rhodope Mountains. According to BAAT, they are included because they have waterfalls and picturesque rock formations as well as a variety of biological species.
The distances range from a few-hours to a two-day walk, which means that children and the elderly can also enjoy the eco-trails. There are places for breaks and picnics as well as an observation platform.
