Radio Bulgaria

Elusively and irretrievably, the final moments of 2011 are slipping away fast, like sand. On New Year’s Eve the squares of Bulgaria will again become crowded with people welcoming the new 2012 with music and fireworks. Some Bulgarians however have chosen to celebrate the new beginning far away from home, because despite financial woes and the slump in reservations for tourist packages, the desire to travel is hard to beat.

Similar to previous years travel agents count strongly on Xmas and the New Year and have provided a wide range of packages for the holidays. However, cautious to spend too much at the face of the insecurity of tomorrow, many Bulgarians have opted for cheaper New Year trips. Currently the leading domestic ski centers Borovets, Pamporovo, Chepelare and Bansko are fully booked. Queues form for the ski-lifts and hotel and restaurant managers look satisfied. Other tourists have decided to have a special trip for the New Year and in a bid to make it different and unique, have bought trips abroad. This year nearby Balkan countries are the leading destinations – Greece, Macedonia, Turkey and Romania. There is high customer demand for trips to Budapest and Vienna too. But let us now look at the third and rarer group of people who would never give up a trip of their dreams to a most exotic place.

“Usually the people for whom money is not a problem, make long and remote New Year trips to destinations such as Mexico, Jordan, Israel, Cuba, Thailand and Dubai. Well, it goes without saying that warmer places are very appealing during the European winter”, explains Vanya Ovcharova, General Manager of a Sofia-based travel agent. “Until recently Tunisia and Egypt formed a niche for people with medium incomes wishing to spend the New Year abroad. However with the recent revolutions across North Africa, customer demand is down. Now people with medium incomes either stay at home or go to closer destinations.”

Indeed, well-off Bulgarians are free to open the New Year bottle of champagne in Rome, Paris or London where they can also enjoy a rich programme of events and places to visit, plus sophisticated cuisine to try. Others will fly to Rio de Janeiro and the Copacabana Beach where on New Year everybody is out dressed up in white and dancing goes on until daybreak. The fans of Argentina are free to join the popular Macuco Safari, a boat experience in the Iguazu Falls. Very often, the adventurous spirit and curiosity to discover the new and unseen can beat the financial problems, Vanya Ovcharova argues.

“It all boils down to openness and temperament. There are people who save with the single thought of traveling, while others – who’ve got all the cash – are never inspired by trips. The crisis has mostly influenced tourists who travel for the sake of habit. In contrast the people who are explorers by nature are ready to go through deprivation for the sake of an inspiring New Year trip.”

Regardless of whether we will celebrate the arrival of the New Year lying on some exotic beach, in the square of one’s hometown or at home with family and friends, one thing is certain – the New Year’s Eve is going to be exciting. Radio Bulgaria extends best wishes for a happy and successful New Year to all its friends around the globe! 

Translated by Daniela Konstantinova