What is the key to success in tourism during a coronavirus pandemic? Many hoteliers failed to find the answer to this question against the backdrop of a constantly changing epidemiological situation. Others, however, thanks to their ingenuity and good management skills, managed to maintain a high level of service and operate at full capacity with regular customers. They managed to adapt quickly to the new requirements and regulations, maintained their quality of service and made the catering establishments safe for their guests. Investing in employees is the key to high-quality customer service. They are the ones who make tourists feel satisfied with the service and return. This is the key to success of one of the hotel complexes in the coastal town of Primorsko. Traditionally, it employs workers from different countries:

“This year we employed Ukrainian nationals as well. We had housekeepers from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan",  noted the manager of the hotel complex Miroslav Stoychev. "Next year we are planning to hire interns from the school of tourism in Pirot (Serbia). Boys and girls from Hungary and Poland were here on an internship programme and next year Turkish nationals may join us as well.”

All of them manage to maintain a perfect level of service. The team is motivated by the opportunity for career development and by the attitude of the managers who support their employees and participate actively in the work process:

“We are like a big family. We respect each other, regardless of our religion and nationality. We work in a team. Moreover, we have animators from France. Each year we work with different animators and everyone is satisfied with the diversity of our services. Many colleagues who work in the restaurant and at the reception have made careers in our company. We observe their work within one or two years and then give them an opportunity to grow in their career. Many of them study tourism and hospitality in different universities. They go on internships abroad, return to Bulgaria with plenty of experience in the tourism field and grow in their career.”

The results of this type of management are seen on various travel and tourism web sites. The hotel managed by Miroslav Stoychev tops the consumer rankings, which is an indicator of the quality of service and the conditions offered:

“We won the first prize within the frameworks of a large French network for three consecutive years. We are talking about 50 hotels around the world. The award is based on the results of the post-travel questionnaires. The best restaurant does not mean the best food only. It means the best atmosphere, service, etc. Everything is complex. This place is very special and makes tourists and staff return again and again.”

English version: Kostadin Atanasov