Check out the two upcoming tourist destinations in Bulgaria

The Roman Amphitheatre in Plovdiv

Bulgaria has two major tourist destinations, which add to the tourism potential of the country – Plovdiv and Varna. Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second-largest city, has got the European Capitals of Culture award for the year 2019, sharing with Matera, Italy whereas Varna is the maritime capital of Bulgaria.

Plodiv is one among the oldest continually inhabited cities in Europe, established around the 6th century BC and a tourist destination, which is in its growth path. Currently it is a modern and vibrant city, which serves as the administrative, academic, economic, commercial and transportation centre of the south-central region of Bulgaria.

“The main two goals of Bulgaria are -to be much more popular and attractive, especially among European countries and to make the city more noticeable. At the same time, we wish to enhance the number of tourists. We expect to have around two million visitors in 2019” says Stefan Stoyanov, Deputy Mayor of Plovdiv

Plovdiv is popular for its music festivals and operas. Though the city has around half million occupants, it never felt as crowded. Plovdiv has a number of remnants of historical places.  One can walk around and admire the wonderful houses which date back to the Renaissance period. The old town of Plovdiv has been on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list since 2004.

“Plovdiv is a unique city. It has a long history, an amazing culture and a very beautiful old town. It also has many nice restaurants and very good sports facilities. It’s an old city with a young spirit,” says Rumyana Titeryakova, a tour guide.

Another famous tourist destination in Bulgaria is Varna, known as the maritime capital of Bulgaria. The city is famous for its splendid beach and its deep blue waters. Mostly tourists consider it as summer leisure destination. However, the municipality try to make it an all-time destination.

“Tourism accounts for approximately 18-20 per cent of our Bulgaria’s GDP. However the contribution of Varna is remarkable in this sector as more than 70 per cent of the available rooms, are located in Varna region,” says an official in the tourist information centre.

“Varna has plenty of mineral springs, very rich culture, and very nice cuisine; besides the most acclaimed hospitality of the people,” he added.

In 2017, Bulgaria reported a 7.6 per cent rise in inbound tourism, with around 8.9 million foreign tourists. The total income from tourism marked an increase of 9.3 per cent during this time.