New Bulgarian visa regulations to attract more Russian tourists
On January 31, 2012 the decision of Bulgarian Cabinet Council on implementation of visa-free regime for holders of valid Schengen visas, valid long-term visas and residential permits issued by Schengen agreement members, countries applying Schengen law as well as Switzerland and Liechtenstein came into force. These new regulations will be valid until Bulgaria officially enters Schengen agreement.
However an entry to Bulgaria with a Schengen visa won’t be counted as a stay in Schengen area and thus the number of days spent in Bulgaria won’t be taken into consideration while calculating the total length of stay in Schengen countries allowed by the visa.
Consul of Bulgaria in Russian Federation Mr. Angel Georgiev explains RATA-news that a holder of valid Schengen is not restricted from obtaining a Bulgarian one. “The fact of holding a Schengen visa does not deprive an applicant of an opportunity to apply for Bulgarian visa. It’s all up to the applicant. Furthermore, if he or she holds any of the travel documents mentioned in the Cabinet’s decision and a Bulgarian visa, only the latter should be used when entering and leaving the country” – said Mr. Georgiev.
According to the consul, it’s quite hard to tell what exactly to expect from these new immigration rules. “We expect to see the number of applications for Bulgarian visa to go slightly down and the numbers of arrivals to go up, particularly from the North-West of Russia, where the number of Schengen visa holders is especially high” – reveals Angel Georgiev.
Mr. Georgiev reports 22% growth of the number of visas issued to Russian citizens in January. “From my experience I can tell that January and February figures are likely to remain intact for the entire season. I’m sure that the Cabinet’s decision will contribute to the growth of the tourist flow from Russia to Bulgaria. Only the consulate won’t be able to keep track of it” – he pointed out.
Rosstat’s data show 25% increase of the number of Russian holidaymakers in Bulgaria over the first 9 months of 2011 – 323.4 thousand opposed to 251.9 in 2010. Thanks to high-auqlity services and affordable prices Bulgaria firmly holds its place in the top 10 foreign destinations for Russian tourists. In 2011 as usual the Russians were mostly choosing 4-star hotels. But they also started to book more apartments for longer stays. An average tourist from Russia spends 12 days at Bulgarian resorts.
That said, at some resorts like Albena for example the Russians have been taking the first place in the number of arrivals for 5 years in a row, having left behind the Germans. And we know why! More than 60% of this family resort’s accommodation facilities offer all-inclusive packages and the kids of up to 12 years stay and eat for free.