MORE than 4 million leva has been invested in skiing facilities and artificial snow equipment at Bulgarian ski resorts.
The association of winter resorts announced a forecast for 20 per cent growth in ski tourism this season, based on reservations made at hotels in winter resorts in Borovets, Bansko and Pamporovo.
The Rila Mountain resort Borovets, about 70 km from Sofia, has seen about 100 000 leva invested in facilities.
About 150 000 leva has been invested in the repair of lifts at the Pamporovo skiing resort in the Rhodopes, and about 50 000 leva has been spent on skiing facilities on Mount Vitosha near Sofia.
Deputy Economy Minister Dimiter Hadjinikolov announced these figures on Monday in Borovets, adding that by end of November all winter resorts would be ready for the upcoming tourist season.
Executive directors, tour shareholders and owners of ski-lift facilities attended the meeting in Borovets. Representatives of The Chamber for Consumer Protection, mayors and regional directors also took part at the meeting.
According to Hadjinikolov, this winter there will be more tourists from the UK, Scandi-navian countries and Russia.
A new sports complex will be built soon near Velingrad, according to Hadjinikolov. The investment required for the project is $100 million, and the complex will employ 1000 people.
The Ministry of the Interior is ready to step up policing at winter resorts, and the Roads Agency's snow cleaning and sand dispersing vehicles are ready for the winter.
Meanwhile tourism revenues and future projections were discussed by Bulgarian tourist companies who were among the participants in the international tourist exhibition Philoxenia, the largest tourist event in Southeastern Europe, which opened on October 31 in Greece.
At Philoxenia Bulgaria was represented by the Bulgarian Hotel And Restaurant Association, the Bulgarian Association of Tourist Agencies, Alma Tour BG, Tural, Akum, Hotel Trimontium Princess, Nikovi and P&R Partners.
During a visit to the exhibition, Hadjinikolov met with the ministers of tourism of neighbouring Balkan countries. The meeting was arranged by the Greek tourist organisation EOT.
Last year Philoxenia brought together over 600 representatives of 31 countries.
It was the fourth time Bulgaria has participated in the event, according to the Economy Ministry.
The association of winter resorts announced a forecast for 20 per cent growth in ski tourism this season, based on reservations made at hotels in winter resorts in Borovets, Bansko and Pamporovo.
The Rila Mountain resort Borovets, about 70 km from Sofia, has seen about 100 000 leva invested in facilities.
About 150 000 leva has been invested in the repair of lifts at the Pamporovo skiing resort in the Rhodopes, and about 50 000 leva has been spent on skiing facilities on Mount Vitosha near Sofia.
Deputy Economy Minister Dimiter Hadjinikolov announced these figures on Monday in Borovets, adding that by end of November all winter resorts would be ready for the upcoming tourist season.
Executive directors, tour shareholders and owners of ski-lift facilities attended the meeting in Borovets. Representatives of The Chamber for Consumer Protection, mayors and regional directors also took part at the meeting.
According to Hadjinikolov, this winter there will be more tourists from the UK, Scandi-navian countries and Russia.
A new sports complex will be built soon near Velingrad, according to Hadjinikolov. The investment required for the project is $100 million, and the complex will employ 1000 people.
The Ministry of the Interior is ready to step up policing at winter resorts, and the Roads Agency's snow cleaning and sand dispersing vehicles are ready for the winter.
Meanwhile tourism revenues and future projections were discussed by Bulgarian tourist companies who were among the participants in the international tourist exhibition Philoxenia, the largest tourist event in Southeastern Europe, which opened on October 31 in Greece.
At Philoxenia Bulgaria was represented by the Bulgarian Hotel And Restaurant Association, the Bulgarian Association of Tourist Agencies, Alma Tour BG, Tural, Akum, Hotel Trimontium Princess, Nikovi and P&R Partners.
During a visit to the exhibition, Hadjinikolov met with the ministers of tourism of neighbouring Balkan countries. The meeting was arranged by the Greek tourist organisation EOT.
Last year Philoxenia brought together over 600 representatives of 31 countries.
It was the fourth time Bulgaria has participated in the event, according to the Economy Ministry.
