Bulgarias Amended Concession Law Abolishes Public Tenders For Publicprivate Partnerships 20/03/2008
Public-private partnerships would be awarded concession contracts without tender, according to the amendments to Bulgaria's Concession Act, passed at the first reading by Parliament, according to the draft put for public debate on the Government's website. The private partners would be picked in a tender, but the contracts would be awarded directly, making it easier and faster to give out concessions on airports and ports, according to the legislature's transport committee, as quoted by Dnevnik daily on March 18. Although it would speed up the process, it would also open a backdoor for corrupt practices, experts were quoted by the daily as saying. Other changes reinforcing include a provision that the choice made by local or central authorities cannot be challenged in... more

Bulgaria Ranks After Spain And France In Real Estate Popularity 07/03/2008
Despite the lower property prices, Bulgaria ranks after France and Spain based on the popularity of the country as property destination for British investors. Nearly 43 per cent of the foreign property purchases occurred in the two countries, 999 Today reported. Australia ranks third with 11 per cent. Bulgaria remains fourth with 10 per cent, followed by the US with four per cent. Most British investors look for holiday property abroad, the online publication reported. Additional factors, increasing the appeal of property, include the availability of cheap flights and easy access to resorts. Bulgaria's expected EU membership attracts increasing number of property investors, representatives of Assetz real estate consultancy said. Once Bulgaria joins the union, property prices... more

Temperature Heats Up For Bulgarian Ski Property 11/06/2008
Bansko is Bulgaria’s Number One ski resort! The resort has seen massive investment in recent years within the skiing areas and infrastructure of the region. It also holds the title of having the best snow record and the longest ski season (15 Dec - 15 May) of all the Bulgarian ski resorts. Bansko is a popular mountain resort, located in south-western Bulgaria, at the foot of the spectacular Pirin Mountain and just 160 kilometres from Sofia. It has developed into a favourite ski & snowboard destination, thanks to the excellent ski facilities and has become a haven for tourists in both winter and summer. Bansko ski resort has excellent snow conditions with great snow cover and 44 Techno-Alpine snow cannons covering most of the slopes, making the ski season last longer. The slopes... more

60 Million Euro To Be Invested In Trade Park In Bulgarias Bourgas 12/03/2008
UK fund European Convergence Development Company Ltd (ECDC) announced that it has signed a preliminary contract with Bulgarian Sienit Holding Ltd for land purchase in the coastal city of Bourgas. The terrain will be used for the construction of a mall with supermarkets and trade areas, called Bourgas Retail Park, investor.bg reported. The fund will participate in the project with 70 per cent. It will provide a loan of 8.925 million euro for the project implementation. Bourgas Retail Park will cover 60 000 sq m. Its total value would be 60 million euro. Construction is expected to be completed within 30 months. Bourgas Retail Park is ECDC’s fifth project realised together with other partners with which its total investment reached 36 million euro. more

Bulgaria Opens Summer Tourist Season On May 9 15/04/2008
The summer tourist season would be officially opened on May 9, State Agency for Tourism head Anelia Kroushkova said on April 14. "An increasing number of hotel owners are looking to open for business as early as possible to take advantage of the warm weather," Kroushkova told Focus news agency. With May 1 and May 9 being official holidays in Russia, Bulgarian hotels are targeting Russian tourists at the start of the season. "We should make sure that we attract Russian [tourist] as early as May, because they have the money and also several days off in a row," Kroushkova said. Romanians, Macedonians and Serbs are also expected to flock to Bulgaria's Black Sea resorts, she added. The official opening would be held in St. Konstantin and Elena resort, which would celebrate its 100... more