The Bulgarian Black Sea coast has tourists, but it still fails to turn them into guests who stay longer and spend more. The problem can no longer be explained only by the time or the number of visitors – it is necessary to change the tourism model itself. Can Bulgaria start selling not just a bed, an umbrella or mineral water, but a complete experience. Dr. Ivelin Kichukov, tax lawyer, doctor of finance and chairman of the Bulgarian Tourism Association, spoke to FACT.
- Mr. Kichukov, how do you assess the passing summer season on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast – What did the real results show and what are the most serious problems that we need to solve before next summer?
- If I have to be completely honest, regardless of the statistics and certain positive financial results that we see, for a large part of the business the season was extremely difficult. From June 1st we started waiting for July 1st. Then we waited for August 1st, and finally we started hoping that at least September would compensate for the weak months.
Yes, the hotels on the first line in the big resorts were full at certain periods. But when we look deeper - to the small and family hotels, restaurants, shops, attractions and services - the picture was much different.
From our personal tours and observations I can say that the beaches on average did not seem to be filled more than about 60% during a significant part of the season. This year, for the first time, we also saw weekends in which even traditionally strong places did not reach the expected full occupancy.
And here we must note a very important fact - the weather was on our side. We had many sunny days and good conditions for sea tourism. Therefore, we cannot explain the results only with meteorological conditions.
The other serious problem was the negative campaign around prices. There was a huge amount of criticism on social networks and even calls for a boycott of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Some of this criticism was completely justified. But we must be fair - along with the incorrect practices, many correct businesses that offered good quality at reasonable prices also suffered.
And this is no longer just a problem of tourism. This attitude is carried over to shops, services and practically all sectors related to consumption.
Therefore, before the next season, we need to talk not only about the number of tourists, but also about trust, quality, attitude and the overall experience.
- You say that the Bulgarian tourist is mainly a “weekend tourist“. What prevents us from turning him into a tourist who stays longer and spends more in the country?
- First, we need to accept a simple reality – the Bulgarian tourist is valuable, but he already has a choice. We are in the European Union and Schengen. A Bulgarian can relatively easily travel to another country, see another culture and get a different tourist experience. We cannot expect that he will choose Bulgaria just because he is Bulgarian.
At the same time, during our visits this year to a number of international destinations, we saw something very interesting – an extremely strong international tourist flow from Monday to Friday, with international tourists exceeding 70% in some places.
This is a model from which we can learn.
Our problem is that too often we talk about the number of tourists, and not about the length of stay and the tourist's spending.
We need to attract a tourist who stays for four to five days, not just two days at the weekend. A tourist who not only sleeps in the hotel, but also visits restaurants, museums, cultural sites, attractions, festivals, spas and local producers. Here I see a huge role for tourism clusters.
The hotel should not be an island in itself.
It should be part of a tourism ecosystem, in which the municipality, restaurants, museums, attractions, tour operators, transport, local producers, cultural institutions and natural sites participate. When all these elements work together, we can offer the tourist a reason to stay another day. And then another one. This is the way to turn the weekend tourist into a tourist with a longer stay and a higher value for the local economy.
- The prices of the sea were again among the most commented topics. Where do you think is the line between the higher price and the quality that the tourist actually receives for it?
- I do not think that the solution is for Bulgaria to be a cheap destination. On the contrary - if we want quality tourism, we must be able to sell at a higher price. But there is one very important condition: the higher price must go with higher quality and better treatment.
A tourist can pay 20, 50 or 100 euros for a given service if he understands why he is paying this money and if he receives value for it.
The problem arises when the price increases, but the attitude and quality remain the same.
We cannot ask for a European price and at the same time give an attitude that makes the customer feel unwanted.
A tourist is not an ATM - he is a guest.
And if we want him to return, we must make him feel like a guest. There must also be greater self-regulation of business here. We cannot blame the state for everything. Business also has a responsibility to protect the reputation of the destination. Because a bad example does not only harm the specific hotel or restaurant. It harms the name “Bulgaria“ as a tourist brand.
- You are talking about the need for Bulgaria to sell an experience, not just a bed, an umbrella or an entrance ticket. What does such a tourist product look like in practice?
- In my opinion, this is one of the most important conversations about the future of Bulgarian tourism. Bulgaria needs to stop selling only services and start selling experiences. The sea alone is no longer enough.
We need to create a product: sea + culture + history + gastronomy + wine + nature + SPA + events.
Imagine a tourist who comes to the Black Sea coast for five days. The first day is on the beach. The second day visits an ancient Thracian or Roman site. The third day goes to a winery or a local restaurant and tries regional cuisine. The fourth day visits a festival, museum or natural landmark. The fifth day uses a SPA or other tourist service. This is no longer just a beach holiday.
This is a Bulgaria experience.
And this is exactly where tourism clusters can make a huge difference – to connect individual businesses and sites into one common product. We have everything you need. We have the sea, mountains, history, culture, mineral springs, wine, cuisine and a unique cultural heritage.
The problem is not that we have nothing to show. The problem is that we are not yet good enough at uniting it and selling it as a complete experience.
Therefore, a change in the way we work is also necessary. The state, municipalities, business, the non-governmental sector, the media and local communities must start acting as one tourism ecosystem, and not as separate players.
The Ministry of Tourism has already taken some good initiatives in this direction. The Bulgarian Tourism Association has also made specific proposals for changes to the regulatory framework, because a large part of the current rules do not correspond to the modern tourism reality.
We have also talked to the Tourism Committee in the National Assembly and we hope that by the end of the year real work on the necessary changes will begin. In parallel, we must work to return old tourist markets and attract new ones. And most of all, we must change the way we present Bulgaria to the world.
Not just: “Come to Bulgaria.“
But: “Come to Bulgaria and experience this.“
This is the difference between simply having tourists and having a sustainable, competitive and recognizable tourist destination.
And of course - we must not forget the Bulgarian tourist. He is extremely important. But trust is not required - it is earned. That is why we must stop the internal war between business and the client and start working together. Because when a Bulgarian tourist chooses Bulgaria, not only one hotel or restaurant wins.
The whole country wins.
- Bulgaria has a huge resource of mineral springs, but a large part of it remains underused. Why are we failing to turn mineral water into a serious tourism product?
- Because here we are making the same mistake that we make in other areas of tourism – we have the resource, but we do not build a complete product and experience around it.
Bulgaria has a huge wealth of mineral waters, but too often we look at the mineral spring simply as water that needs to be used or bottled, and not as the basis for an entire tourism ecosystem.
And mineral water can be much more. It can be the basis of SPA and wellness tourism, medical and restorative tourism, cultural tourism, gastronomy, wine tourism, sports, active lifestyle and even urban tourism. This is also one of my main theses – we should not just sell water. We should build an experience around it.
History should also start working.
Many of our mineral places have a history that dates back to Roman times. We have archaeology, architecture, traditions, medical history. But we often separate these things - water is in one sector, culture in another, tourism in a third.
And the tourist does not think like that. He wants a complete experience.
And here we come back to the idea of tourism clusters - to connect different resources, businesses and institutions around a common tourism concept.
- You propose the concept of “Mineral Sofia“, which would connect the Central Bath, Bankya, Gorna Banya, Knyazhevo, Ovcha Kupel, Pancharevo, Zheleznitsa and other mineral places. What would this project look like if it were to start tomorrow?
- First, we need to stop looking at these places as separate neighborhoods or separate mineral springs. This should be a common tourist system – “Mineral Sofia“. Sofia actually stands on mineral wealth. We have different mineral zones – the Central Bath, Bankya, Gorna Banya, Ovcha Kupel, Knyazhevo, Pancharevo, Zheleznitsa and other places.
My question is very simple: Why are we looking at them separately, when they can be one common tourist product?
If the project starts tomorrow, the first step should be to create a common map and strategy of “Mineral Sofia“. Then each region should have its own role. For example, Bankya can be a strong center for SPA and recovery. The Central Bathhouse - for history, culture, urban experience and thermal tourism. Gorna Banya and Ovcha Kupel can develop their specific capabilities. Pancharevo can connect mineral water with nature, sports and active tourism. Zheleznitsa can be part of the connection between mineral, nature and mountain tourism.
But the most important thing is that the tourist does not receive eight different products. He should receive one destination - – “Mineral Sofia“. And here comes the role of the cluster. The Sofia Municipality, regional administrations, the state, owners and operators of tourist sites, hotels, SPA centers, restaurants, medical centers, museums, cultural institutions, tour operators, transport companies, local producers and non-governmental organizations can participate in it.
This is already a tourist ecosystem. And then we can start selling packages.
For example: “Three Days Mineral Sofia“ – thermal experience, culture, history, gastronomy and wine.
Or: “Sofia – the city of mineral springs“ – urban tourism, the Central Mineral Bath, historical sites and SPA.
Or: “Mineral Sofia – health and nature“ – mineral waters, recovery, sports and nature trails.
This is already a product.
- The Central Mineral Bath is one of the symbols of Sofia, but today its main function is a museum. Is it possible in your opinion that the historical and museum function can be combined again with a thermal and SPA function?
- In my opinion, it is not only possible – this is one of the big questions that we need to ask ourselves. The Central Mineral Bath should not be forced to choose between history and future. On the contrary. It should combine the two. Recently, in an article, I posed a very simple question: can the Central Mineral Bath once again fully tell its own story, but at the same time be part of the modern life of Sofia? I believe it can.
Of course, we must take into account the architecture, the status and the requirements for the preservation of cultural heritage. But this does not mean that the building should be frozen in time.
On the contrary - history should work.
- We can have a museum part that tells the story of Sofia's mineral waters and baths. But why can't we also have a modern thermal zone, wellness experiences, restorative procedures and spaces that show how ancient tradition can exist in the 21st century?
- This would be an extremely strong tourism product. Imagine a foreign tourist who does not just visit a museum, but enters history itself. He sees the Roman tradition, the history of the Sofia baths, the architecture - and then experiences the mineral water. This is exactly the difference between showing history and selling an experience. What should the state and the Sofia Municipality do to prevent the final loss of the mineral baths, which are now closed or in ruins?
First - we must stop postponing.
The biggest risk is not that a bath is not working today. The biggest risk is that in years to come we will find ourselves in a situation where there is nothing left to restore. That is why we must have a national and Sofia program for mineral heritage. A full audit of all mineral baths and sites - what condition they are in, what is their status, who manages them, what investments are needed and what tourist product can be built around them. And then there must be a specific plan with responsible institutions, deadlines and financing. We can't start from scratch every time. There needs to be public-private partnerships where appropriate, European funding, state and municipal participation, and clear rules for investors.
But the state and the municipality also need to know what they want to achieve.
We don't just need a "renovated bathhouse". We need a working tourist site. And here I return to the cluster model once again. A bathhouse alone can hardly create the entire economy around it. But if there is a hotel, restaurants, medical and recreational services, cultural sites, transport, events and tourist routes around it - we already have a destination.
- You are connecting mineral water with cultural, medical, SPA, wine and culinary tourism. Could this be one of the tools with which Bulgaria can actually move from seasonal to 365-day tourism?
- Absolutely - yes. And in my opinion, this is one of our most serious tools. Because mineral tourism, by its nature, is not dependent on the sea season. It can work 365 days a year. But again - we should not only sell "SPAs". We need to create an experience. The example of Romania and Therme București is very indicative here. This is a project that turns the thermal water into a complete year-round tourist destination - with different areas for families, mineral pools, saunas, wellness, treatments, restaurants, green spaces and entertainment. The operator itself indicates a peak attendance of over 8,000 people per day, and in 2023, 30% of visitors were international guests. This is very important. They are not just selling mineral water. They are selling a whole day of experience.
And this is exactly the lesson for Bulgaria.
We can do the Bulgarian model our way. Imagine a mineral destination where you have a thermal experience in the morning, then a medical or restorative procedure, lunch with regional cuisine, in the afternoon a visit to a historical site, in the evening - a winery, a concert, a festival or a cultural event. Then the mineral water becomes the core of the tourist product, around which dozens of other sectors develop. This means more overnight stays, more tourist spending and more jobs.
- What is the specific model that we need to implement to turn mineral waters from a natural wealth that we only talk about into a working tourist product that attracts people all year round?
- In my opinion, the model should be very clear: resource → cluster → product → experience → international marketing. First, we need to know what resource we have. Then, unite it into tourist clusters. Then, create specific products. Then, turn them into experiences. And finally, sell them aggressively and professionally on international markets. This is the same philosophy that I am talking about in relation to the Black Sea Coast. Bulgaria needs to sell an experience, not just a bed, an umbrella, an entrance ticket or mineral water. We have almost everything. We just look at it all too often separately. Sofia is a wonderful example.
We can make “Mineral Sofia“ as one of the distinctive tourist brands of the city. To connect mineral places, history, culture, medicine, SPA, gastronomy, wine, nature and city life. And this can be a product for 365 days. Not only for foreigners. And for Bulgarians. This is especially important - to give the Bulgarian tourist a reason to travel to the country in November, January and March. And here again comes the role of the state, municipalities and business. The Ministry of Tourism cannot advertise one thing, the municipality another, business third, and the local community fourth. We must have one strategy and a common message.
And finally, we must understand something very important: Mineral water is not just a natural resource. It is a platform for economy, tourism, health, culture and regional development.
If we leave it unused, we lose a resource. If we turn it into an experience, we create a product. If we do it through tourism clusters and connect it with culture, medicine, gastronomy, wine, nature and events, we create a destination. And if this destination works 365 days a year, then we are already talking not just about tourism, but about a sustainable development model for Bulgaria.