Bulgaria's Tourism Struggles to Diversify Beyond Traditional Offerings
Bulgaria continues to lag behind neighboring countries in achieving significant growth in its tourism sector
Plovdiv is a brand new and ever more attractive business destination in Europe. The town has recently been proclaimed the European Capital of Culture of 2015. The ''Trakiya Economic Zone'' project is currently shaping to be one of the biggest investment projects for Bulgaria in the near future. The zone has also been included in the list of Bulgarian projects that could be financed through the Juncker development plan.
According to the preliminary prognoses, the Trakiya Economic Zone is expecting investments in the amount of EUR 1,1 B and additional 30,000 workplaces will thus be opened.
Additionally, Plovdiv has the ambition of becoming a base along the transcontinental corridor of Chinese goods traveling to Europe. Chinese investors have expressed their interest in the project on numerous occasions - to the announced concession of the Plovdiv Airport and its turning into a logistic hub between Europe and Asia.
The Japanese enterprise SMC Industrial automation (a leader in the market of pneumatic devices) has purchased a terrain in the Maritsa Industrial Zone and plans on launching a technological production site there.
The US producer of sensors for the automobile industry Sensata is currently constructing a huge production plant next to the village of Tsaratsovo in the Plovdiv region.
Companies like the Italian Zobele, the UK-base William Hughes, as well as Liebherr, Magna, Schneider electric, Techno Aktas and many more are already operating in the region.
More than 51% of the economy in the region is directed in the production sector with a total of 70,000 employees. It is expected that through the planned industrial projects, the work places will reach 100,000.
In the first quarter of 2025, the 20-BGN banknote has overtaken the 100-BGN note as the most frequently counterfeited denomination in Bulgaria,
According to recent data from the Trend Research Center, shared during the "Personal Finance" event by Money.bg, 38% of Bulgarians are unable to set aside any savings
In the first three months of 2025, 16 companies filed 18 applications for mass layoff
Despite the global escalation of the trade war, there have been no significant negative trends in Bulgaria’s tourism sector so far
Intercompany debt is a common aspect of the business landscape, both in Bulgaria and Western Europe
Starting April 17, Bulgaria Air has launched a new seasonal direct route between Varna, Bulgaria, and Paris, France
Google Street View Cars Return to Bulgaria for Major Mapping Update
Housing Prices Soar in Bulgaria’s Major Cities as Demand and Supply Strain Increase