Bulgaria could turn into 'second Baden-Baden' in the several years to come if it managed to develop its spa tourism, Orlin Vladikov, head of National Real Property Association said during the sixth annual tourism conference Bulgaria Dream Area.

Investors were increasingly interested in the purchase and renovation of old spa centres in 2006. The trend was expected to continue in 2007 and 2008, Bulgarian news agency BTA reported.

A new type of tourism, property tourism, was emerging in Bulgaria. Preliminary data showed that the number of property deals in the country was 280 000 and the transactions were worth more than 10 billion euro in 2006.

Stanislav Novakov, deputy chair of State Agency for Tourism (SAT), said that tourism became one of the main Bulgarian economic sectors in the past several years.

Bulgaria's 2006 tourism revenue reached more than two billion euro, he said as quoted by Focus news agency. Tourism forms 14 per cent of Bulgaria's GDP and creates nearly 140 000 temporary work places.

Nearly four million tourists visited the country in 2006, he said.

Novakov also said that developing year-round tourism was among Bulgaria's challenges.

Regional Development and Public Works Minister Assen Gagauzov said that the ministry would do its best to transform Bulgaria's infrastructure. Significant investment would be made in resort infrastructure in the three years to come.

Bulgaria Dream Area is an annual conference dedicated to tourism. Its 2007 edition will be held on January 10 and 11 2007 under the topic Rendezvous EU. SEE ministers will discuss the possibilities for tourism co-operation in the region.

Participants would also discuss the impact of Bulgaria's EU accession on tourism, the new challenges for Bulgarian tourism and the development of tourism in the region.