Despite forecasts for a snowless winter, it seems that this season will be a successful one for Bulgarian resorts.

In order to rely not entirely on weather, owners of Bulgaria’s biggest mountain resorts have invested additional funds in snow-making equipment. The good news is that the price of ski packages will remain the same as last winter’s. Bulgaria’s leading ski centers said they would keep price levels in order to attract and retain tourists. At the end of last week the official start of the season was given in Borovets, Pamporovo and Bansko with festive parties, fireworks and skiing.

Judging by the avalanche of discount holiday offers, it turns out that if you made an early reservation, you could have a relatively affordable snow vacation. The average price of a daily ski package that includes bed and breakfast, dinner and an all-day pass for the ski lift could be as low as 50-65 euro. Of course, everything depends on the resort, and the category of the hotel. In Borovets the season started with a rich entertainment program and torchlight show, which brought thousands of guests in the ski area of one of the most famous Bulgarian mountain resorts. This winter the number of snow cannons has doubled and there are additional opportunities for night skiing. Apparently, snowless winters that are becoming more frequent are a serious challenge. Bansko, that some describe as the fastest growing winter resort in Europe, relies on 335 snow cannons, which should provide the desired snow in the coming months. "Skiing in Bansko is great! I do not know any other ski resort in Europe to have better conditions for skiing at the moment," said world famous ski legend Marc Girardelli at the official opening of the season. Pamporovo has also been preparing for a busy winter season. Traditionally, the New Year period is the busiest and the Rhodope resort attracts a great number of tourists but prices are also higher despite the widely advertised discounts. It is expected that after January 10th prices will fall by more than 10%. What else to expect this winter season? Rumen Draganov, Director of the Institute for Analysis and Assessment in Tourism brings us more.

"The winter of 2013-2014 showed that we can work in snowless conditions. Thanks to using snow cannons we manage to accomplish our program in relation to skiing and snowboarding tourism. We expect a 5-percent growth this year. In recent years, Bulgaria is oriented mainly towards the Balkan market - Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Romania, and recently Turkey. Moreover, facilitation of the visa regime for Turkish citizens who will be able to receive quarterly multiple-entry visas is good news for Bulgarian tourism industry. We expect a rise in the number of Turkish guests to Borovets, Pamporovo and Bansko. Traditionally, British tourists also have strong presence in Bulgarian winter resorts. The problem is that the number of Ukrainian and Russian tourists has declined due to the economic uncertainty, the collapse of the ruble and the bankruptcy of several Russian tour operators."

English: Alexander Markov