GREENEST
The Bulgarian Association for Alternative Tourism (BAAT) announced the start of the first Green House competition, which will assess guesthouses and family hotels in Bulgaria according to their use of sustainable practices in accommodating tourists. All houses that fulfil the European Centre for Ecological and Agricultural Tourism (ECEAT) criteria will receive the ECEAT certificate after evaluation by a specialised committee. The main criteria to be assessed will be environmental responsibility, authenticity and hospitality.

ALTERNATIVE
The number of people visiting Bulgaria for alternative tourism has increased to about 35 000 a year, according to Lyubomir Popiordanov, chairperson of the Bulgarian Association for Alternative Tourism. More than 90 per cent of the alternative tour groups are from Europe, while the remaining 10 per cent are from Japan, Korea, Australia and the US. The number of independent tourists also increased by 15 to 20 per cent, Popiordanov said.

SHUTDOWN
Some of Bulgaria’s zinc and lead mines may have to be shut down temporarily if the price of the two metals on global markets continues to fall, the executive secretary of the Bulgarian mining and geology chamber, Petar Petrov, told Dnevnik daily. If lead dips below $1300 and zinc falls below $1500 per ton, with no immediate price recovery, all Gorubso mines will certainly close down. Total closure would be a last-ditch measure, said Valentin Zahariev, majority owner of Intertrust, which owns 98 per cent of local smelter Lead and Zinc Complex (OZK).

MORE NEW CARS
New car sales in Bulgaria between January and July 2008 rose by 18.2 per cent to 32 884 cars, according to data from the association of automobile manufacturers and their authorised dealers in Bulgaria. Sales of cars, trucks and buses in July 2008 alone increased to 5306 units, while in June their number was 5167. The year-on-year increase for the month was 19 per cent.

ATTRACTIVE
Sofia could become part of the new wave of cities attracting European tourists, a study by the UK consultancy company Saffron showed, as quoted by investor.bg. Judged according to attractions and opportunities available, cities like Sofia, Vilnius in Lituania and Krakow in Poland were deemed to be hidden stars of the tourism market. Although they have the potential to attract more tourism and business, the study showed that they are currenly under-performing in these areas.