News and Articles related to Bulgaria
Current date: 2010-02-09 07:57

Bulgaria Tourism Boss: We Sealed Loss of Serbian Tourists by Recognizing Kosovo

After Bulgaria recognized independent Kosovo, it has no chances of getting back the Serbian tourists that it lost with the introduction of visas as it joined the EU on January 1, 2007. This was announced Friday by the Chair of Bulgaria`s State Agency for Tourism Aneliya Krushkova before the Bulgarian private Darik Radio.

Krushkova also stated the owners of small hotels were going to bear the brunt of the step of the Bulgarian government since the Serbs used to stay primarily in them.

"We used to have about 186 000 Serbian tourists. Last year the drop was 74%, and I cannot make a prognosis how many are going to come this year", Krushkova said.

She added she hoped a time would come when the Serbs were going to start visiting Bulgaria again but that this would hardly happen in 2008 because of Kosovo`s recognition.

Krushkova also stressed that the route of tourists from Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic visiting Bulgaria goes through Serbia. She recommended that Bulgarians traveling through Serbia should plan their route very carefully.