The beginning of September saw Bulgarian beaches unusually deserted, leaving hoteliers and restaurateurs along the coast perplexed. The summer season had seemed promising for beach tourism, with municipalities and businesses working hard to provide quality services to tourists. The warm weather and inviting sea had ensured a steady flow of visitors to the country's resorts. So why the sudden exodus from the Black Sea's sandy shores?
It turns out that in the last week of August, Bulgarian media was flooded with apocalyptic predictions of an imminent weather catastrophe. Severe hurricanes were expected to hit the Black Sea coast. National and regional media outlets painted a grim picture of the impending climate anomaly, urging tourists to evacuate immediately or providing instructions on how to stay safe during a hurricane. Despite weather forecasts contradicting these claims, panicked tourists abandoned the seaside resorts en masse, leaving local businesses in a precarious situation.
The situation was exacerbated by reports from neighboring Greece, where hotel prices dropped significantly starting from September 1st. As a result, long traffic jams formed at the border as Bulgarians sought to reach the resorts of the Aegean Sea.
Businesses are blaming not only the sensationalist media but also the lack of a national strategy for the tourism sector.They are pinning their hopes on the newly appointed tourism minister who has promised to provide assistance.
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