Is there a link between the construction sector and the success of Bulgarian tourism?

Bulgaria - a year-round tourist destination. This is one of the main goals regularly set by all successive governments of the country. For years, a solution to the problem presented by the short summer season on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and the insufficient snow for the winter resorts has been sought.

It turns out that one of the key components for Bulgaria to become a year-round tourist destination are vacation properties. They are the link between the construction sector and successful tourism, and they can contribute to the development of the smaller settlements around Burgas and the resort towns in the region.

This is the idea that united participants at the vacation property conference "NextHome Black Sea 2024: Black Sea Forum", which took place this week in Burgas.

Tourism

The tourism industry along the Southern Black Sea coast continues to recover from the blows it suffered in the last few years – first the pandemic, then inflation, and now the expected economic slowdown.

"I believe that the initiative of the (Bulgarian) Ministry of Tourism, which finances municipal projects in the field of advertising in target markets, is a step in the right direction." This was the view of the deputy mayor for tourism and sports in Burgas municipality, Manol Todorov, who was among the guests at the conference.

The main goal of everyone in the sector here is to have a longer tourist season. This is related not only to the things we will offer, but also to the transportation of tourists. A problem at the moment is the lack of enough flights to Burgas Airport during the winter months," he said.

According to him, the negotiations with the airlines to carry out more flights to Burgas are difficult. The deputy mayor added that his administration is conducting new talks with a large airline.

He hopes within a month or two there will be concrete solutions.

Very soon we have to present the marketing plans with which we will advertise ourselves this year in countries such as Great Britain, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and others under the Ministry of Tourism program. We will have billboards and a strong digital presence. We need to start as soon as possible with the implementation of this advertising strategy, because the preparations for the new summer season have already begun," Todorov pointed out.

Global problems

People think their problems are regional, but they are (actually) global. The debates that we used to have in one of our Italian cities about tourism are very similar to the problems that Burgas now has," says Federico Lazzari, executive secretary of Build Europe, who took part in the forum.

Build Europe is an organization that brings together over 30,000 national construction sector representatives, including Glavbolgarstroy. The history of the organization began in 1958 as an international association for scientific purposes, but from the very beginning, it supported and protected the interests of entrepreneurs and housing developers in Europe. Today, Build Europe represents the interests of these entrepreneurs to European institutions as well as to stakeholders.

According to Lazzari, it is very important to attract people to the smaller settlements - a goal that the Italian government and business had already set in 2019 for their country. The process was naturally accelerated due to the onset of the COVID pandemic and the flight of people from the big cities – a trend that is seen not only in Italy but also in Bulgaria. In the last three years, there has been an extremely high interest in real estate outside of larger cities.

What can be done locally to attract buyers to small towns is to highlight the progress that has been made in construction. Our homes are greener than ever," says Federico Lazzari.

Changing holiday market

To a large extent, construction is changing because of the different regulations imposed both locally and at the European level. However, the changing needs of consumers are also a factor in the shift of the concept and so is the way residential housing is built. All of this also applies to vacation properties in cities like Burgas.

Investors targeting construction and sales in the vacation property market must be adaptable to new realities in order to achieve sustainable success in this dynamic market," says Radoslav Kotlarov, CEO of GBS Invest and manager of GHome - the Glavbolgarstroy housing construction brand.

Trends in the vacation property sector include sustainable and eco-friendly buildings, technology-enabled smart homes, spaces with remote workplace options, good locations and innovations.

Investors are incorporating green building practices, energy-saving technologies and eco-friendly materials to attract buyers who seek a fulfilling life and environmental protection," explained Radoslav Kotlarov.

Location remains a critical factor in the success of vacation property investments. Investors evaluate this in more detail, with mandatory requirements being the availability of good tourist infrastructure, easy accessibility and the potential for growth and development of the location.

New projects

During the conference, Radoslav Kotlarov also announced the realization of the Lira project, with which Glavbolgarstroy will upgrade the idea of what tourist infrastructure and amenities can mean in this region.

Lyra will be built behind the Sveti Toma resort complex - more than 30 meters away, on company-owned land. The building will consist of two separate sections, with a total of 55 apartments, of which 6 one-room (studio type), 37 two-room properties and 12 three-room properties.

There is a plan to build an underground parking lot for 76 cars, of which 56 parking spaces and 20 garage cells, as well as 14 parking spaces on the ground.

"The building will be compact, with 4 floors, and its own water treatment plant. The project also includes a richly landscaped courtyard, entrance security, a children's playground, a restaurant and a bicycle repair shop, as well as a beauty salon," explained the executive director of GBS Invest.

Construction is set to begin in the coming weeks, with all planning and regulatory procedures having already been successfully completed so that Phase 1 of the project can be completed before the start of the tourist season.

Translated by Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov