| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 14/08/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 27 |
| Copyright: Other |
Balkan holidays
Specialist sets sights on 33% Bulgaria boost
Report by BRIANRICHARDS
Balkan Holidays is expecting to take 40,000 clients to Bulgaria next summer – 33%, more than this year, based on this summer’s increased demand for the country’s Black Sea resorts.The operator is offering charter departures by Balkanair and Air Via on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday to the Black Sea airports of Varna and Bourgas this summer – in addition to its Saturday and Sunday services.
Balkan has added Bristol to its 11 UK departure airports for next year and is focusing on improving loads to its top-selling resorts – Sunny Beach, Golden Sands and Albena.
Operations manager Chris Rand said: “Loads to Bulgaria have been excellent this summer – 96% through June and holding up well in July and August. I’m confident we can hit 40,000 in 2001.
“Hotels right across the range are being improved. Many three and four-star hotels have been refurbished and we’re seeing good quality in the two-star properties, especially at Sunny Beach.
“With our basic holiday costs showing no increase from this year and the higher quality of hotels, clients can expect even greater value for money in Bulgarian resorts next year.”
Balkan is also stepping up its Croatia coverage next year, adding the islands of Brac and Hvar and the Istrian Riviera to the Dubrovnik and Makarska Rivieras it is currently offering.
“Croatia is a quality destination that is seeing good growth from clients seeking better grade hotels,” said Rand. “With Croatia airlines flying from Gatwick and Manchester, it should do well.”
Balkan has dropped plans to expand into Poland and the Czech Republic next winter but may include Warsaw and Prague in its summer 2001 second-edition brochure due out in late August.
The operator is sticking by its quartet of little featured short-break cities – Ljubljana, Zagreb, Sofia and Bucharest – which all remain for next year. “They’re outstanding city-break destinations and relatively unknown – Sofia in particular,” said Rand.
Sunny outlook: Balkan is seeing increased demands to itstop-selling resorts such as Golden Sands