Poor infrastructure, polluted beaches, low standards of construction, noisy building sites, poor service and bankruptcies will put Bulgaria's Black Sea resorts under pressure this summer, British newspaper The Telegraph reported on May 9.
Problems with the power supply, refuse waters and pollution have persisted last summer and have made an appearance this year already, although the tourist season is yet to start properly, the paper said.
"Much of the infrastructure along the coast – including power supplies – was built 20 years ago and was designed for far fewer holidaymakers. The water treatment system at Golden Sands can successfully service 15 000 people, but not the current 40 000," The Telegraph wrote.
Despite re-assurances from local authorities that a host of projects would take care of the problems, most of them have remained promises, without any work being done. "The overcrowding once suffered by Majorca could be repeated on the Black Sea. Hotels on the Spanish island had to be pulled down so that the infrastructure could be upgraded," according to report.
The evidence so far pointed towards reduced numbers of British and German tourists, while "bookings from Russian visitors have declined as well, following the introduction of cumbersome visa regulations".
Fewer tourists and lower revenues may push many hotels, who are now balancing on the verge of bankruptcy, past that line, while those tourists that do come to the country could face poorer service, the result of low wages in the tourism industry.
