Bulgaria Ski discussion board

It is not only a Bulgarian 'problem' of dual pricing as it happens in many ski resorts around the world having seen it in Canada, France and Austria. For example a food shop in Meribel where the tourist gets charged the displayed price, a regular gets a discount and a local gets charged even less. Bars in Canada where staff and locals get big discounts on food + drink etc etc.

Right or Wrong - I don't know. If you are a tourist it may be annoying but the chances are you are doing very well for yourself to be able to afford a ski holiday. The regular customer - ski resort staff etc get paid badly (know that from experience!) so a small discount goes a long way towards getting those workers to come back to your business again. As for mates rates for locals - where does that not happen where your friends give you a good discount??

It is illegal but put it another way - your family have lived in Bansko (for example) for many generations and are farmers without any land to sell to developers. Prices in local shops rocket sky high (by Bulgarian standards) and people pay more for a 6 day lift pass than you earn in a month. I think giving the locals a good discount is no bad thing otherwise they would all leave for cheaper places (or be in financial difficulty) and the mountain towns become even more over-run with tourists.

At the end of the day would you rather get 'ripped off' paying 1 euro for a beer in Bulgaria or 5 euros in France - in both places the locals get a discount!

Interesting topic...we live here in Bulgaria and had my inlaws come over from New Zealand for a holiday last year. They mentioned to us that NZ is becoming expensive for the average wage earner to holiday in there own country {NZ} and there is talk of introducing a 2 tier pricing system where local NZ's will get discounted rates on accommodation etc compared to tourist rates.
Good or bad?......bit of a catch 22 really....but if it is going to increase local revenue and create more locals to holiday in there own country, all the better. On the flip side.....for a foreigner living in a country with a 2 tier pricing system, it can be a pain providing proof of residence even thou we are living side by side and earning similar wages etc.

You look the menu and if you like what you see -order.if you dont -walk out and stay hungry.The bulgarians which go skiing actually earn more that the average brit and they will never make an issue about the menu or a little overpricing here or there.And as for prices BG-France I have not seeing ratio 1-5euro for a beer for a similar level establishment.it is getting very close for prices if you dont count the alcohol and spirits between Alps and Balkans.As for snow reliability, lift , ski runs and interlinked areas obviously there is huge difference in favour of the Alps.