Bulgaria Ski discussion board

It has gone really quiet now, shame as there is still skiing, and beautiful long sunny days... great spring conditions....
Generally this has not been a good season snow wise, a late fall that gave us some fun, but overall we are around 3m of snow down for an average season :-(
What do we draw from this ? is this a sign of things to come ? Two seasons ago we saw the heaviest snowfall for at least fifty years, i doubt global warming has taken hold in just two years, so can we assume it is a blip ? hopefully so
What has been identified is the need for investment, something hopefully Borovets will endevour this coming summer, Pamporovo continues to invest and plans aplenty for the future, and Bansko ??? the resort the closest to my heart has shown this season that it can pull out all the stops to put snow on the mountain, and in this they should be congratulated but in other aspects they have failed miserably.. The continued monopolising of all businesses associated with the mountain, especially in the provision of food and drink has resulted in near Alpine prices, with nowhere near the quality (and it's not great in a lot of the Alps) and service.. Ski hire and instruction now placing huge requirements on any private operation in order to compete, to the point where many will simply pack up and not bother next year.. This obviously is what the operator wants, but diversity allows for competition, and this leads to higher standards and more competitive pricing... This would not be allowed in any other EU country, free trade being the norm, and competition is welcomed. What with the blind business practices, and the state of the town since the election of the new mayor, i do worry for the future. There seems to be no firm forward thinking plan, the 'cash cow' being milked to the point of bleeding, and bleed it is.. and unfortunately it will die in time, possibly sooner than a lot of people would predict I think we will be looking at the 2nd season in a row of falling tourist numbers, ok, this season has been exceptional, but it is against the trend if you consider Pamporovo, and Borovets early on.... I think we will be in for a couple of rough years, where the operator will continue to raise prices as numbers continue to fall, and profits do not make expectation (very Bulgarian)... and after hopefully they will consider either employing someone with an idea of how to run a successful Ski area who is not so driven by profit alone... or they will sell... personally i prefer the latter
It is such a shame as Bulgarian skiing offers so much, and at this time the market is right for those looking at options other than the main Alpine areas.. For beginners especially Bulgaria could offer everything, it only requires forward thinking, a raising of business ethos, and investment in the long term, without the expectation of being millionaires overnight.. Listen to tourists, give them what they want, it is them afterall who pay the bills.. Adopt an Alpine feel in the mountains of Bulgaria, and before someone jumps in and says they want traditional Bulgarian, i'm thinking that a strip bar, or a sex shop is not traditional, and that is what we have at the moment...
We in our small way have been attempting to influence people in our business partnerships, and to date all have seen improvements, accepting (eventually) that a different way of business can be more sustainable, rather than the one off 'quick buck'. We have only scratched the surface, the future will decide whether Bulgaria prospers in an environment of opportunities, glimmers like Pamporovo (5 years ago it was being discussed the closing of resort to international visitors) can give us hope, Borosports reaction to this seasons problems, if they deliver, will be a step forward... I love Bulgaria, i am going nowhere, i will be here till the day i die... I am not so reliant on business and will survive in this lovely country... on that thought, must be time for MTB

I was in Boro over Xmas and by the looks of it, that was probably the best of the season. I cant help but feel sorry for the resort as it has potential but the lack of snow making on the mountain really holds it back.

I have been skiing before, and compared to other countries, I personally found Boro's pistes to be narrow and not coloured correctly for the difficulty.

Ever since I got back from Boro, I check most weeks on the webcams to see what is happening, and sadly I see the snow melting and the resort getting quieter.

I have nothing against Boro or Bulgaria, the locals are really nice, made me feel welcome and eating out was cheap, but I don't think I will be coming back. I am glad I went and I wish it all the best for the future.

His continual ranting about how stupid we are to have any interest in Bulgaria was becoming a bit predictable, we all know what the Alps has to offer... Nobody needed his references to the shortcomings of resorts in BG as we are well aware of them, but we also hold hope that things will improve.... We who have been on this board for years are the first to criticise many decisions made here in BG, but will offer solutions and suggestions, and still hope for change.. we all know what attracts us to Bulgaria, not just the cheap drink, but the overall experience... Colin, Mikey, and all the other BG knockers (and i'm assuming he/she/them are Bulgarian) will not last long on this board.. It would have been not so bad if they offered up something original or even constructive.. but constant criticism with little substance does become a little wearing
He/she/they will return, logged in under another name, but the style will be the same