Sir

I really don’t understand what the Government of the day is doing with regard to tourism.

There have been numerous articles written over the past five years which have stated that the Government is concerned about building density along the Black Sea coast and yet there is still building being undertaken, and it would seem that it occurs for most of the year.

I have been to Sunny Beach during the summer months when building should have ceased, and there has been large-scale development taking place right in front of the police,who presumably are meant to be ensuring that it doesn’t take place.

Then there is the issue of why people holiday in Bulgaria. There is no doubt that most people came because it was a cheap place to holiday in. However, if people are going to be charged in place like Zlatni Pyasutsi (Golden Sands) and Albena, for example, five leva for a bottle of beer that costs 70 stotinki in supermarkets, then those people are not going to return.

Today there is an article about illegal buildings on beaches and the difficulties in getting rid of them. There should be planning legislation, retrospective if necessary, that states quite specifically what can and what can’t be built, and if buildings do not meet these criteria, then they should be removed. This of course requires building inspectors whose integrity one can rely on, to enforce such legislation.

Then there is the question of eco tourism. Unless the countryside is tidied up, and one doesn’t find that a large number of what could be attractive areas have become rubbish dumps with paper and plastic bags littering the place, there is going to be little if any sustainable eco tourism.

Yours faithfully,
Peter Knight
Priseltsi, Varna

Sir

It is to be hoped that budget airlines start to service the coastal airport such as Varna soon – the lack of cheap flights from the UK is having a very negative effect.
I have lots of family members who want to come out to us when we are in Bulgaria (we are in the Balchik area) but the cost prevents them from doing so. I have spoken to lots of British people who say they have regretted buying because of this lack of cheap flights. We bought our property more than three years ago and found it was cheaper two years ago to come out than it is now. People can get holidays in hotels in Bulgaria for nearly as much as they have to pay for flights.

Patricia Walker