An article called Snow Business in Bulgaria and Switzerland published in The Independent compared Bulgaria as a ski destination to Switzerland.

Bulgaria was an “impoverished former socialist republic,” but what the country and Switzerland had in common was that both were recently becoming more attractive to British skiers, The Independent said.

Last season the two countries registered a greater proportional growth in deals with UK main tour operators than any other European destination.

A dozen of years ago Bulgaria offered “bargain-basement skiing.” Currently the country is a place where many UK operators seek low-cost holidays.

A 130 million euro investment transformed Bansko, one of Bulgaria’s ski resorts, into a modern, efficient ski area. The 2007 Great Skiing & Snowboarding Guide describes Bansko as the "best-developed ski resort in Eastern Europe," The Independent said.

The resort turned into an ideal place for UK investors interested in residential property.

Bansko's transformation secret was the construction of a gondola connecting the outskirts of the town and the former ski-area base. The ski area is well designed and has modern and lifts, but is small, fails to challenge good skiers and is not inexpensive.