Bulgaria’s Albena Resort Sees 44% Surge in German Tourists While Maintaini
Source: Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency)
At the height of August, signs already suggest a strong summer season for Bulgaria’s northern Black Sea resorts, with Albena standing out as a leading example of recovery after the pandemic years. Activity began as early as April, when nearly 3,000 Austrian pensioners arrived, extending the resort’s season. But the most significant breakthrough is the return of German tourists – a market that had long been absent from Bulgaria. According to the latest data, overnight stays from Germany have surged compared to last year, alongside an increase in Bulgarian visitors and steady interest from Scandinavia and Central Europe.
Krasimira Stoyanova, manager at Albena, emphasized that the revival of the German market had been eagerly awaited, as it recovered much more slowly here compared to other destinations. This season’s success, she explained, is linked to well-secured charter flight capacity from Germany and targeted promotion through a local advertising agency. The Austrian pensioner program also played a role, filling the resort in the spring and helping tackle one of Bulgaria’s biggest tourism challenges – the shortness of the active season.
While competitors like Turkey and Greece raised their summer prices by 15–20%, Albena adopted a different approach, limiting its price hikes to no more than 5%. This strategy paid off, with a 20% rise in foreign tourists and near-100% occupancy rates. The increase in Bulgarian holidaymakers reached 14%, while the strongest growth was among German guests, up by 44%. Numbers from France, Scandinavia, the Czech Republic, and Poland remain stable, while a modest rise has been recorded from Romania, as well as from Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova.
Unlike many other Bulgarian resorts that continue to expand with new construction, Albena follows a strict “No more hotels” policy. Instead of expanding its bed capacity, older buildings are replaced with modern, higher-class facilities – for instance, converting two-star hotels into five-star ones. The resort also prides itself on its green image, thanks to its location next to the Baltata reserve – a pristine long-leaved forest that provides shade, scenery, and a close connection with nature.
This natural setting makes Albena particularly appealing to families with children. The resort offers specialized children’s facilities, a waterpark ranked among the top eight in Europe, and opportunities for young guests to encounter rare animals and birds within the unique floodplain forest, considered the westernmost of its kind in Europe.
Beyond traditional beach tourism, Albena diversifies its offerings with sports, cultural, and congress events. Since being named a “European Sports Resort” in 2018, it has attracted visitors outside the summer season as well. Its cultural calendar also enriches the experience with weekly beach festivals, open-air concerts, and children’s discos, enjoyed by many of the 12,000 guests the resort can host at once. The highlight this year will be Albena’s 56th anniversary celebrations, taking place around August 24 with a week of special events, marking yet another milestone for the emblematic seaside complex.
Source: BNR interview
The original article: belongs to Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) .
