Bulgaria Advised to Follow Ireland's Branding Strategy

I agree with the sentiments in this story. Tourism is huge in Ireland but we've had to work hard on marketing as obviously nobody is going to come for sunshine or sking.
Buglaria has so much more to offer other than package holidays. There's the hundreds of years of culture and history as well as the health spas that aren't really highlighed by any of the tour agenices in Ireland.
As a dear friend once pointed out to me (you know who you are): "isn't Bulgaria a great adventure?" Yes it is. The package holidays are as good as anywhere else, but there's much more that BG could promote to attract tourists.

sounds good jak, but I really don't think "let's make foreigners pay 3-4 times more for everything" was part of Ireland's strategy
listen next time you come to Bg do me a favor, pay attention to EVERY transaction you pay for, keep track make a list and compare, from restaurants hotels taxis you'll be shocked on how much you are ripped off

i've tried everything, dressing like a Bulgarian, even learning the language and speaking with a passable accent, even spitting, farting sneering/leering just acting like a damn pig to blend in better , but they can still smell me out and up the price


oh well, Bg'ers get a laugh from it, when I catch them they just smile
but just wait for the EU sanctions, we'll see whose smiling then!!! HA!

Uchack: "I really don't think "let's make foreigners pay 3-4 times more for everything" was part of Ireland's strategy"

Don't worry, there's plenty of rip-off prices here for tourists visiting Ireland, but yeah, it's nothing compared to Bulgaria. I usually do OK coz my gf does all the deals and as I don't look so foreign, I just try to keep my mouth shut and hover around in the background muttering da and ne at the appropriate moments :-)

They'd be doing the BG tourist industry a huge favour by not trying to grab as much as they can, but at the same time I can understand it.

ha-ha-ha
It's unbelievable that anyone will even think that there is a bigger rip-off country than Ireland!!!

ah AIS, go ahead an dog Ireland....
why are you there exactly??? To earn money...yes I know you can get 200 euro an hour for your "services" vs 50 leva in Sofia.....

AIS,

Don't slag the Paddies off, la! They are amazing people and I, for one, rejoice that their country is doing really well now.

It is a beautiful country overflowing with beautiful people and I could barely think of a sexier accent on a bird than a Paddy one, especially the West Coast which I adore - Galway, first and foremost (My references pertain to the Republic <formerly known as the Irish Free State between 1921 and 1947>... Northern Ireland generally boasts a magnificent countryside but the majority of people there save for select few special mates are mardy and downright hostile. The Ulster accents grate on the ear too with the Lurgan droll taking the cake. Me mate Shawn from Lurgan is ace and we can finish a bottle of POWERS in next to no time but ne cannot stop taking the piss out of his droll)...

I am a Scouser and my birthplace has tremendous Paddy heritage. They arrived in the 'Pool en masse during the Famine years and their cultural imprint is everywhere, thus the affectionate term for the 'Pool as 'The Capital of Ireland' emerged.

Blessed be,
Stevie

Uchak,

Have you ever visited the glorious country called Ireland? If not, you should! You'll love it big style!

I'm actually currently listening to the Pogues' version of 'Dirty Old Town'. I do prefer the Dubliners' version of the song.

It's smashing that you are unafraid to voice your opinions. I don't think you are being offensive to anyone at all. You are just providing constructive guidance yet many want to crucify you.

At the end of the day, freedom of speech is really all about the unreserved expression of one's views however batty they might seem to certain baboons who might listen.

We are all niggaz on the planet. We are all mongrels with Pappa Wills as the grandest mongrel of all. That's all beautiful, la! Long live Samuel L. Jackson and Siney Poitier! Long live Jonathan Ross!

All me 'lava',
Stevie

no hopefully this year will visit Ireland...many want to crucify me because i say what ai think is the truth...and like the movie with Tom Cruise and jack Nicholson in it "they can't handle the truth.!"

Being offensive is a two way street, many Bg'ers love to dish it out,
but if they're dishing it out on me, they're sure as hell gonna get some back on em

cheers!

Uchak:
"i've tried everything, dressing like a Bulgarian, even learning the language and speaking with a passable accent, even spitting, farting sneering/leering just acting like a damn pig to blend in better , but they can still smell me out and up the price"

The truth is that they just wanna see the dumb forigner fart, spit, leer and generally make an ass of hilself thinking that he'd get that discount....

You are not Jewish Uchak, are you? It just seems like a lot to go through for a few levas less....

Hiya, Uchak!

I was branded a Pariah by quite a few for 'airing frank views on Europeans and their inability to contribute to English society', so to speak. I was suddenly a racist, the Fuhrer himself, you name it!

In the meantime, we've had people who have pretty much clamoured for the death sentence of all blacks, Arabs, etc. etc. Both blacks and Arabs have been quite openly classed as 'primitives' by certain truly racist individuals and some have even applauded the bombing of innocent civilians in Iraq.

Some have gone on and said that Jamaicans are awful people because they descend from bad slave material unlike the good slave material folks of say Aruba and Barbados. I mean... how offensive is all that!!? How narrow-minded too!!!

All that has been considered the norm but lambasting Europeans for being foreign in England is viewed as some sortvof an unpardonable sin. At least, we English can hold our heads up high for we have a society that is practically devoid of prejudice. We've pretty much eradicated racism which is a lot more than I can say about the continentals who still indulge in monkey-chants (that infamous 'friendly' at the Bernabeu still sticks in the mind) whenever a black person appears before their dreary eyes.

Terribly sorry but Europe, for my money, is the epicentre of blatant racism and anti-Semitism and I'm eternally grateful for the fact that I don't live there. I'm not saying all Europeans should be tarred with the same brush but the fact that they condone racism is despicable!

Kind regards,
Stevie

Uchak, matey...

You are conjuring up some images. Fair play to you, son :-)

Stevie

"... sortvof an unpardonable sin. At least, we English can .... "

* sort of

I personally know Jack Shit about Bg'ers, to be fair... all I know is that they are Ruskies, Uchak. Same as the Albanians, Polocks, Czechs, Bosnians, and Uzbeks whatever but that doesn't really mean much.

I haven't a clue as to how the average Bg behaves but I've met a few Ruskies so I can sort of draw my own conclusions. I can also tell from the way the French and other Europeans behave that when it comes to extremely important matters such as sense of humour, the English and European wires appear to cross. Sad really!

Otherwise, I don't wish anybody any ill!

Blessed be!
Great-great grandfocka Pope Stevie O'Tickletofineleg

Bloke:

"I'm eternally grateful for the fact that I don't live there."

So are we!

That tends to be my strategy as well.....

But I have to say I have not encountered that much rip-off in Plovdiv. I saw it a lot in Varna when I lived there 4 years ago. But even there, if you know what the price should be you can normally get that price.

Most things are labeled anyway, so there's not much room for negotiation. Except Cabs of course..... and property.....

I remember when backpacking round Indonesia in the mid 90s that the places you were guaranteed to be ripped off were always in the tourist areas. In rural areas or unpopular towns the locals simply didn't understand the concept.

As for Bulgaria imitating Ireland I wish them good luck, but I think the situations can't compared:

Ireland 70s:
- not too much corruption (I believe, although the IRA is an issue)
- young population (You've got to love those catholics)
- Optimistic people
- huge financial ties with the US and UK

Bulgaria 00s
- corruption is still rife
- aging population
- Pessimistic population (probably due to aging population, don't know)
- old ties with Russia and Yugoslavia have been severed
- 50 years of communism to overcome.....

Good luck!