More than 400 000 leva have been invested in Chepelare mountain resort before the start of winter season 2006/2007, local hospitality union representatives said.

Funds were mainly invested in the construction of new hotels and ski infrastructure at Mechi Chal winter sports centre, Focus news agency reported.

Two of the tracks will be lit to enable night-time skiing.

Chepelare can accommodate 1400 tourists, in its 15 hotels and 73 guest houses, municipal data shows. Prices for one-night accommodation vary between 10 and 50 leva.

Since the beginning of the winter season Chepelare and nearby ski resort Pamporovo suffered from the lack of snow and the unusually warm weather.

Meteorologists said that snow fell on December 2 and the coverage in Pamporovo increased by 15 cm.

Nearly 2000 tourists have chosen Pamporovo as the place to spend their winter vacation. Most of them come from the UK.

Currently two ski tracks function. Resort representatives said that if the snowfall continued, other tracks would begin functioning as well.