One In Four Adults In Bulgaria Owns Farmland, One Third Leaves It Uncultivated 11/03/2008
One quarter of adults in Bulgaria own farmland, but about one third do not use it, a BBSS Gallup International found in a nationally representative opinion poll conducted among 1 010 adults in 115 Bulgarian settlements in July 2007. The results of the poll were disclosed in "24 Chassa" daily on August 8. The average amount of land owned is 1 hectare. Half of the land owners reside in rural areas, and the other half live mainly in small towns or regional capitals. One in ten landowners resides in Sofia. Rural residents make up about 30 per cent of Bulgaria's total population, according to Bulgarian news agency BTA. Three quarters of those who own farmland are over 50 years of age. Two in three are pensioners or unemployed, and one tenth are self-employed. One in two of... more

Lack Of Secondary Market For Holiday Developments As British Withdraw From Bulgarian Resorts 14/03/2008
British and Irish buyers are withdrawing from the Bulgarian holiday market. And Russians and Scandinavians are likely to replace them, said Martin Gikov, Real Estate Management Director with UniCredit Bulbank at a news conference about the Bulgarian property sector. Foreigners accounted for about 30 per cent of transactions in residential developments last year. Their share, however, is decreasing for a number of reasons, Gikov commented. Irish and British customers, who have so far formed the core of holiday property buyers, reduced their activity following the global credit squeeze. They've also been deterred by low yields on seaside developments. Traditionally, British and Irish seaside property purchases are driven by speculative purposes. Initially they were tempted by the... more

Us Travel Writer Picks Bulgaria As Top Budget Destination 15/05/2008
Bulgaria was among the top 10 budget destinations for summer vacations in 2008, according to US travel writer Pauline Frommer. Frommer's recommendations range "from romantic getaway spots to family faves to exotic destinations for adventurous travelers", she said in a media statement. "The strength of the euro has made much of Europe a budget-buster for American travelers, but it's also an opportunity to explore less heavily touristed areas of the continent - such as Bulgaria," Frommer said. Bulgaria was the only European country in the list. Despite lacking sufficient tourist infrastructure, it was "rather safe and had old monasteries, preserved medieval villages, together with affordable sea and spa resorts," Frommer said. Bed and breakfast in the less expensive hotels and... more