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Small group tours, higher prices and boutique experience - a rising trend in Bulgarian wine tourism

Photo: Freepik.com
Gastronomy and wine tourism is gaining popularity around the world, including in Bulgaria. According to the World Tourism Organization, such tours are becoming a key factor for attracting tourists from Europe, Asia and the USA to fully explore a given destination. Wine, gastronomy, culture and nature go hand in hand.
Bulgaria can offer a whole range of authentic experiences with a wine twist. "Wine has been made in our lands for 5 millennia. Our country has a huge potential in wine tourism", says Ivaylo Katsarsky, Chairman of the Board of the Bulgarian Association of Wine Professionals (BAWP) and a licensed guide with a certificate from the international Wine & Spirit Education Trust. He says that before the pandemic, over 95% of wine tourism travellers in the country were foreigners. Now, however, Bulgarians have begun to take a keen interest in it.
"Besides being profitable, wine tours also fit very well with the concept of sustainability, namely exclusivity, higher prices, smaller groups, high-level experiences," says Ivaylo Katerski. One can organise it oneself or seek assistance from a specialised tour operator who will prepare one's itinerary from A to Z. 
Tourists can find ample information on the internet, where there are also numerous online maps of wineries in the different wine regions of the country. 
"It's good that things are developing. It all began from the Struma valley and the wineries around Melnik. Then wine tourism started to develop in the Plovdiv area, northeastern Bulgaria, the southern part of Sakar... "Vinari Severozapad" winery has also just started moving in that direction, says Katerski. One can find wine houses to visit on these maps, some available online, others not. A year ago, we were commissioned by Sofia Municipality to produce a wine map of Sofia with locations representing Bulgarian wines based on completely objective standards, without commercial bias."
There are 70+ wineries in Bulgaria, which develop wine and gastronomic tourism, according to the data of BAWP. Quite a few of these wineries have hotel accommodation. Additional leisure activities such as cycling, cultural tours, etc. are often organised. Local wine varieties are the calling card of a destination. "Just as when one goes to Tuscany, one wants to try Chianti and Sangiovese , 99% of our guests insist on trying a Bulgarian local variety," says Ivaylo Katzarski, adding, "This is one of the most popular wine varieties in Bulgaria: whether it will be Dimyat, or Mavrud, or Shiroka Melnik, it depends on the region and the winery. Each individual variety is exciting, valuable and beautiful in its own way. 
How do international tourists react? Most of them are adventurers, people who have travelled a lot. They have been to France, Australia, Chile, Spain, Italy and now they want to try and experience something new. They have barely heard of Bulgaria, they come with their receptors wide open. Especially North Americans - they are without any reservations or prejudices. And they are extremely satisfied and pleasantly surprised by both the wines and the food that are offered to them in the family wineries, small guesthouses and restaurants all over Bulgaria. The effect is really impressive," concludes Ivaylo Katerski.
"Whether it will be Dimyat, or Mavrud, or Shiroka Melnik, each individual variety is exciting, worthy and beautiful in its own way. How do international tourists react? Most of them are adventurers, people who have travelled a lot. They have been to France, Australia, Chile, Spain, Italy and now they want to taste and experience something new. They have hardly heard of Bulgaria, they come with their receptors wide open. Especially North Americans - they are without any reservations and prejudices. And they are extremely satisfied and pleasantly surprised by both the wines and the food offered in family-run wineries, small guesthouses and restaurants all over Bulgaria. Their reaction is valuable", Ivaylo says in conclusion.


Photos: Facebook / Ivaylo Katerski

English version: Elizabeth Radkova



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