Varna Tourism: High Hotel Occupancy

Although the peak of the summer tourist season has passed, hotels on the Northern Black Sea Coast continue to report high occupancy.

The pleasant weather and more affordable prices attract tourists, confirmed Pavlin Kosev, chairman of the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association, to the Bulgarian National Radio.

Optimism is also brought by the information from Varna Airport, indicating that every fifth arriving tourist is from Germany.

This is an encouraging sign for the gradual recovery of the German market, key to the Bulgarian tourism sector, commented Kosev.

Positive trends, but a long-term plan is needed

Despite the positive trend, the industry is categorically against optimism based only on a strong summer season.

Tourism requires a long-term strategy and sustainable efforts to attract and retain new markets, the specialist pointed out.

The loss of traditional markets such as the Russian and Ukrainian has led to a noticeable diversification of the tourist profile.

Weekend tourists, festival and concert goers, and lovers of event tourism are increasingly gaining weight in the overall picture.

Varna – a new destination for weddings

Varna, according to Kosev, is starting to establish itself as an attractive destination for wedding celebrations, opening a new, promising niche in the sector.

"We opened a modern wedding hall, designed specifically for such celebrations, and the interest is exceptional"

he shared.

More and more often, newlyweds from different cities in Bulgaria, as well as foreign couples, choose the sea capital for their most important day.

This further contributes to the sustainable development of the tourism sector in Varna and the region.

The lack of major markets such as Russia and Ukraine leads to the need for diversification and shifting the focus to other tourism markets.

This means more serious attention to marketing strategies and the development of new tourism products tailored to the changing preferences of consumers.