MEDCOAST 99 – EMECS 99 Joint Conference, Land-Ocean Interactions: Managing Coastal Ecosystems
9 – 13 November 1999; Antalya, Turkey, E. Özhan (Editor)

Coastal Tourism in Bulgaria in the Years ofTransitional Economy
Milena Sotkova(1) and Izmail Kantardgi(2)(1) M&999 Co., Bulgarian Coastal Association, 63-a, Vladislav Str., 9000 Varna,

Bulgaria Tel +359-52-250058 Fax +359-52-256701
e-mail: bcamil@mbox.digsys.bg(2) Moscow State University of Technology "STANKIN", 3A Vadkovsky line,
101472 Moscow Russia Tel +7-095-9729483 Fax +7-095-9733189
e-mail: ikantar@ sec.ruAbstract

Bulgarian Black Sea coastal area is very important sector of Bulgarian economy. From
geographical point of view, Bulgarian coastal zone is situated at the middle latitudes
and due that has the mild continental climatic conditions. The coastline is comparatively
straight one, the underwater relief is characterized by mild bottom slopes, but the shore
is quite varied – lowlands, plains, dunes, benches and steep rocky cliffs. The golden
beaches mainly composed of middle grain size sands, and favorable summertime wave
climate supplies good conditions for developing of coastal tourism for a time period of
about 110 days per year.
Nowadays at the Bulgarian coastal zone the interests of almost all-economic branches
are focused. There are two main coastal cities with their industrial areas and commercial
ports situated on the Black Sea Coast; they are Varna and Bourgas. Governmental
interests in the coastal zone are mainly related with coastal resources exploration, as
well as with border security measures.
The coastal tourism in Bulgaria has more than 100-years history. The first sea baths areequipped in 1890. In 1926 about 1,100 foreign tourists visited Varna. But coastal
tourism in Bulgaria reaches the international standards and attains importance for theBulgarian economy in the last 30 years. This result is obtained due to long term andlarge-scale governmental policy, having in mind that the export potential of country canbe really extended by developing of quantitative tourist production.
In the beginning of transitional economy period (i.e. around 10 years ago), the situation
with Bulgarian coastal tourism was as follows:•coastal tourism operates with about 60% of the national hotels capacity, andgives about 80% of financial profit of the branch;•there were 8 well developed resorts (one of them for children tourism) withcapacity about 70,000 beds, mainly directed to serve the foreign tourists;•

Bulgarian citizens can spend holidays in another resort villages and children
camps where conditions significantly differed from these for foreign tourists.

MEDCOAST 99 – EMECS 99 Joint Conference, Land-Ocean Interactions: Managing Coastal Ecosystems
9 – 13 November 1999; Antalya, Turkey, E. Özhan (Editor)

Analysis of the reasons, factual information, tendencies, practice, and problems incoastal tourism in the years of transitional economy is presented in the report. It isindicated that a number of international, as well as internal economic causes lead todropping out of major governmental tourist corporations in parallel with changes oftourist market structure. Another problems are related to lack of high investor’sinterests, and the need of increasing of recreation facilities, as well as improving ofqualification of peoples, who work in tourism industry.
The problems arose find decision in number of measures adopted by Bulgarian
Government, local regional administrations, commercial companies – direct or indirect
participating in tourist service, and NGOs.
Special attention is paid to the attempts of private tourist company "M & 999" inrealization of the new principles of management by children coastal camps. The
common features, as well as the specific problems are analyzed in the report incomparison with a model for management of coastal hotel – club, addressed to family
recreation.
The children camp "Obzor – Ug" was developed as an international youth and children
center, where so cold "all inclusive" kind of service is applying. In organizational work(in comparison with model of hotel – club) the main peculiarity finds expression inexisting of a large developed department, named "Educational Activities andEntertainment". The goal of it is to supply various amusements for the guests ofchildren camp in parallel with educational activities, including ecological education.
Common and specific problems and barriers accompany activity of private tourist
companies in the years of transitional economy. The decision of few of them wasobtained due the establishment of the NGO "Bulgarian Coastal Association" (BCA).
Established in 1996, BCA develops the library and database concerning coastal zone
management problems. Two international conferences "Port, Coast, Environment" and"Care for nature is care for future population" were held in 1997 and 1998 respectively.
The BCA members took part in national and international conferences and "Coastal
green school" activities. A handbook for animations in a children camp is prepared. The
practical results of BCA elaboration in coastal tourism are implemented in the operationof "M & 999" Co.