Bulgaria Ski discussion board

Hi all,
Well that's it all over for me again for another year and I'm back with very mixed feelings.

On the positive side we shared a great week with many different and new people as well as sharing some quality time with some great old friends. The snow was perfect and we saw no icy or bare patches all week. Really enjoyed the weeks skiing - but now comes the less positive bits.

Having read some recent posts on here about the popularity of Pamporovo I can speak with not only 20 odd years of experience of the place but also now having just returned and having spoken to many local and 'in the know' people I can assure you that Pamporovo is very much on red alert with it's future. Balkan have just 16 guests in the resort next week and this week saw just 6 ski school groups attending their presentations yesterday.
This when the ski conditions are little short of superb. We went up to the centre a couple of times and the place was deserted. Apres Ski bar was completely empty at 7pm when we called in for a drink, and we saw nobody in any of the shops that were still in business at a time that used to see hoards of people looking for bargains and an early evening drink. Probably 40% as a rough estimate of the shops in Pamporovo were no longer in business and it really saddened me to see this and to have to comment on it. Daks did liven up late on but by then I was too tired to party and just let the youngsters get on with it.

Restaurants on the slopes were the quietest I have ever seen them, on Thursday we called into the Lodge for a short break just after 2pm and it was completely empty.

I have never seen the slopes so quiet, and again on Thursday we skied down the Stokite run at 3pm and saw just 4 other people on it all the way down.

As long as the big players keep pumping their financial clout into Borovets and Bansko then Pamporovo is going to suffer big time. Banks and high flyers are slowly squeezing the life out of Pamporovo. Lift owners, holiday companies, airport influences are all playing their part in the decline of what used to be a vibrant resort.

Restaurants being used by the Ski Schools are charging their pupils 30% more than non Ski School skiers if they bring them to their restaurants and then paying the Ski School a 30% dividend for bringing them in.

To me that stinks!

So Pamporovo for me next year? Probably not unless some major changes are made PDQ - and for those of you who know me will know that I say that with a very heavy heart!

Pete

PS - Did Mikey turn up? ........ no!

I emjoyed Pamporovo because it was straight forward into the slopes and no crowds and of course the snow was perfect.
Ideal non stop skiing.
I did not stay in a bar there as most of the bar owners are new or everything looked quite empty .
Had a meal in the center of Shiroka luka.
And the early morning on the next day friday last got into Sofia airport.
Probably I will go to next time ( in 10 days again the same route(Borovets and Pamporovo ) because there is nothing which exites me in Bansko.
Reading your review I must agree with you .Pamporovo in my time in early March was at peak time and all of the ski school was more or less full with clients.
Trust me the journey from airports(don't count Plovdiv as a reliable option because there is not a flexibility you need from a tiny landing place .the bigger airports always win.
Borovets the day before was actually busy on the slopes(not to the extend of queueing) but the bars again were empty.People are just not interested in spending in places where there is nothing unique.
The clothes shops were looking with Qmarks on their foreheads.
The same week in the BG news were released the data facts of this winter season(Dec Jan and Feb)
Figures show drop by about 10percent (85percent drop in Romanians and 70percent down from the russians)
Although the snow is good people just don't book into Bulgaria LAst minute .
Their destinations are further West.
I have seen at the same time my favourite places full to the brim with no car park available at all which is unheard.
Of course the traditional places are less prone to shake ups.
Tradition pays.
Smiles pays hugely
Prices on show pays
Not a pushy ski instructors holding their clients prisoners and taking them to specific restaurants pays .
It seems everything works like a well oiled machine and every part big and small is engaged with one single thing in mind : clients to be happy and hopefully to return.
It is sad but when you are in one of the courners of the ski map you will suffer most.the more central places are win-win.
The fact that this season the snow everywhere is brill has contributed to the good spread of schedule flight customers using all corners with ease.
The low cost airlines are busy fliying to Bulgaria but that is not a customers you can rely on.
These are mainly people with appartment patches in some of the resorts which are going there because for them is cheap.
Massive typical skier worth of counting is the schedule one with packages etc.not on the cheap property owner which uses the place knows the dirt cheap joints and spends close to zero while there.
Or some students using somebodies friend's place the same way.
Resort can not survive with them people.

I hope Pamporovo will find the right path to keep on doing what is best (quite cute place with limited skiing amongst pine trees but enough for one week)
The rest is wild fantasy.
The appeal of this place will be with a lift pass of 30lv for a start.
Then hotels which are cheaper than the rest of the resorts and flights which are dirt cheap (not like 100-150 for a easy or rayanair)
Low cost should be low cost.
The difference between Alps and Balkans as far as the flight are concerned is equal.until the prices reflect the difference people won't repeat that destination and knowing that it is much easy to retain clients than to try to find a new one somewhere in the jungle the politics in BG is completely wrong.
First sort out the prices (lifts shabby joints on the slopes,restaurants then beds should be lower,smiles should be 100percents and every place,stop the corrupt system of ski instructors pulling clients to restaurants(to gain commission behing their backs) infrastructure then should be drastically improved-that one is very costly and tricky because in BG everybody looks short term period, demount the old facilities ,improve the flow of tourists on the pistes etc etc don't talk about the cheap booze because this is cancer(never winning formula around the world)
Lond list .
At least you had perfect snow and if it was me I would not complain because the snow is what is the most important.few day(one week) skiing then swim. Eat and bed get early go to the slopes and very quickly the week has gone.
I bit boring apres skiing but the main objective _the skiing was done and dusted.
I am behind you on this Pete.
Pamporovo can survive but has to get real and very quickly.
Will leave feedback again on my next brief visit in 10 days times
(You see I am visiting 3 times this season BG -whats happening to me?
I just want to have a good memory left after the season because I know the statistics are against that to be repeated again in our lifetime.

I was saying something very similar on a previous thread, unfortunately some know all no nothing shot me down and basically called me a liar, he stated all “all hotels in Pamps and Chepalare have been full all season but not mine” Living and working here I know this is not the case, I speak with most hoteliers in Pamps on a regular basis. I adore Pamps and enjoy working here, my businesses are here, I would have no need to lie! I try to always remain positive, my glass is half full, my work is in tourism and has been for over 7 years.
I will be speaking with George the head of ski school and raising the issue of 30% remuneration from guests having lunch in the ski instructors preferred eateries, this is most unfair. Skiers can of coarse go where they want for lunch but then it splits the group up and firm friendships are made when eating lunch skiers do prefer to stay with their instructors and trust them to take them to restaurants that have hot tasty, reasonably price places. Most of know how poorly paid the ski instructors are, on average they earn 50GBP per week, they rely on tips and commissions, I understand this but 30%! The knock on effect is less tips and an unfavorable reputation.
I hope that the longevity for Pamps is brighter than this ski season, of course with every down side there are up sides has been small groups for tuition, many times just 2 in a group which was unheard of in previous years. No lining up for lifts, few accidents etc. I have tried introducing curry nights, belly dancing, Sunday roasts with free transfers but there simply are not the tourists, all business owners are struggling this year due to fewer tourists and ski instructors holding the monopoly. It is snowing as I write. Pamporovo AOD really need to pull a rabbit out of a hat for next ski season and the municipality have to dig deep to also make much needed improvements, Business owners need to get their game on and see that tourists want more for their money, improved services, hot food, entertainment, happy looking staff, many times it is the small things that count.
Pete I know this season did not wow you and the same shine was not their but Pamps will not be Pamps if you take the Pete away! I will try and do all I can at the next business owners meet to see change for the better happens.

A good question Pete and one I was expecting someone to ask.

Several reasons really. Having skied Pamporovo for so many years now we really are finding the slopes very limited. To travel on a lift for 10 minutes and ski back down in 6 means so much time spent on the lifts that we need to perhaps explore further afield for more challenging terrain. The explotation of the visitors by the authorities in the resort has taken away the magical feel that the resort held for many many years and although newcomers will still enjoy it, I don't think it will captivate the masses as it used to.

I'm not saying that I won't return, and who knows what I may decide when the time comes to book for next season, but for whatever reason I didn't return home this year and rush to the computer to re-book as I have always done in the past. If Pamporovo is to retain it's place in many peoples hearts and to see the return of the masses then it has an awful lot to sort out. The slopes were never piested whilst we were there apart from the base level; the resort is on it's knees in terms of business opportunities; the constant bleeding of the tourists by the Ski Schools; the lack of any close transfer airport; and the shortness of the runs.

Probably it's just that I've got the post-holiday blues, because as you say the actual holiday was fine, but it was just not as memorable as previous trips.

PP

I guess people want changes.
They try something maybe go again the same place but it is nature to explore further afield.
Or maybe they want to preserve the good old days good memories about a place which was full of happy faces,dirt cheap everything reasonable snow cover and all in all reasonable experience.
The main thing is that they have learnt to ski and now the world is their oyster with contless varieties.
I fully understand you Pete.
I really enjoyed my one day in Pamp last week but because nothing was prepared and groomed perfectly then.
But I can not imagine myself skiing all week the same slopes again and again.
Maybe one time but certainly not to repeat again and again.
Again I will repeat myself and mark down the main negatives coming out of BG:
Skiers pulling their groups into specific establishments for reason to get commission from them.
No smiling
Not warming the places and food when serving
Not keeping the dates for opening and closing of the resorts.
Not grooming enough to keep happy novices.
Prices which need to be corrected downward fast(food,shopping etc)
Expensive lift passes(no one can dissagree with me on that one)
Politics which don't look on the resort as a long term venture but a quick buck operation.
Limit on the places as far as the mountain is concern.(You know what I mean)
A lot of things have to be worked on and fast and I kind of think that sonner rather than later some of them will be corrected or polished but there is HARD work ahead for all concerned about BG resorts.

I agree with all your comments, unfortunately i was unable to go to pamps this year. I have been going to pamps for about 15 years and was lloking forward to taking my 7 year old son for his first trip this year. But the travel from Sofia i think is too long. I hope they bring back some flights from the midlands to plovdiv to reduce the travel time.
I have a special place in my heart for this beautiful resort but seeing it change over the last few years has reduced the passion for going there.
The sooner all the people in the know get together and encourage people to come back the better.
Last year i introduced some friends from work to pamps and they returned for the second time this after loving it but there main concerns were the hotel and the poor standard of food given to them from a supposed 4* hotel.

Come on Pamps get it together