Albena AD towards Energy Independence and Circular Economy

The ambition of "Albena" AD is to achieve energy independence by starting to produce all the energy needed for the resort from renewable sources within a few years. This was stated today for BTA in Varna by Krasimira Stoyanova, manager of "Sustainable Development and Green Transition" in the company. She emphasized that the currently installed installations already cover half, or 50%, of the energy needs of the complex.

Stoyanova explained that the company's success in the field of circular economy is due to the overall vision that is laid out in their strategy, and not to piecemeal work. According to her, the sustainable development strategy of the company dates back to 2017. She noted that the module "From Farm to Table" is already completely finished. The complex itself produces agricultural products, which it processes and uses exclusively for the needs of the hotels in Albena.

The expert emphasized the importance of waste utilization. She stressed that statistically 30% of the food served at a buffet remains as waste. Stoyanova explained that the company strives to encourage guests to consume only as much as they can, but also has a modern installation for processing organic waste, which is part of a biogas installation. The company has the ability to process more waste than the complex produces, and therefore accepts waste from neighboring resorts, such as Kranevo and Golden Sands. Stoyanova added that the gas, organic fertilizer and hot water produced by the installation are returned to the gardens of Albena. She specified that, following the Spanish example, before the processing of organic waste, it undergoes pasteurization in order to be absolutely safe for its use as fertilizer.

In Varna today, Krasimira Stoyanova participated in the forum "Circular Economy in Tourism: Progress through Cooperation in the Extended Mediterranean Region", which is held under the Interreg Euro-MED program. The forum is organized by the Dialogue4Tourism and Community4Tourism projects and brings together representatives of European and Mediterranean organizations working for the development of sustainable and innovative tourism practices.

At the same time, in front of journalists, the deputy mayor of Varna, Snezhana Apostolova, shared data on tourism in the city. She noted that this year there is a 35% increase in overnight guests from Germany. Apostolova stated that tourists from this country will continue to be a focus for the administration in the future. According to her, the residents of Varna do not have a negative attitude towards tourists, despite the observed trend of rising rent prices.