The salaries of people employed in the summer tourist season have risen by 20%, according to caretaker Tourism Minister Evtim Miloshev. He told BNR that the shortage of workers in the industry was not only due to poor pay, which he said was not poor at all.

"In general, Bulgaria has persistent unemployment - people who are neither trying to improve their skills nor seriously looking for work," the minister explained. He added that huge efforts were being made to keep those working in the tourism industry employed and to make their salaries competitive with those in other sectors.

"The Black Sea coast has something for everyone - for the most fickle tourists and for the most solvent, there are magnificent places," the minister said.