The Bulgarian Association for Alternative Tourism (BAAT) celebrated its 10th birthday at the end of January.

As part of the celebrations, BAAT hosted a group of journalists on the weekend of February 2 and 3 in the village of Raduil, presenting the association’s achievements in its first decade and, through activities like team-building exercises and a snow-shoeing expedition in the mountains, giving a glimpse of some of the attractions of alternative tourism.

BAAT defines alternative tourism as “travel that is personal and authentic and encourages interaction with the local environment, people and communities”.

This includes package tours and individual tourist services in “natural tourism”, defined as meaning eco, nature, mountain and adventure including biking, horseback riding, skiing, snow shoeing, rafting, diving, caving and hiking; cultural tourism, including rural, cultural heritage, ethnic, religious, wine, cuisine, music and crafts.
A key emphasis in BAAT’s mission is to strive for sustainable development through enhancing tourist product quality and improving infrastructure and give assistance to others who have the same objectives.

Sustainable development in this context, naturally, is the antithesis of the mass tourism, with the associated mass construction, that has characterised Bulgaria’s tourism industry in recent years.

Among other activities, BAAT has taken up the cudgels to preserve Bulgaria’s natural environment through its involvement with organisations such as For the Earth.

Currently bringing together more than 90 members, the association’s activities include training representatives of guesthouses, municipality administration, non-government organisations and protected areas on various topics connected with alternative tourism – rural and ecotourism, certification and marketing and regular professional courses for mountain guides. It also offers consultations to members on how to make their businesses succeed, through the development of business plans, and marketing and advertising, for example.

BAAT also lobbies state authorities to protect the interests of the association’s members, especially in the legal framework governing tourism and for the preservation of Bulgaria’s natural environment and culture.

BAAT has conducted SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis exercises on the Bulgarian tourism industry. The association also publishes a Bed and Breakfasts and Guesthouses guidebook and a Manual for Alternative Tourism, and has participated in a number of international conferences. For more information, please see baatbg.org.