Although the summer season is still far off, early bookings for vacations at resorts along Bulgaria's Southern Black Sea coast have already begun.
Tourism industry representatives are optimistic that Bulgaria's entry into the Schengen Area will have a positive impact.
"Early bookings are progressing extremely well. We expect at least to maintain last year’s levels, but our forecast is for an even better season, largely due to Bulgaria's Schengen entry," commented Evelina Puleva, a member of the Board of the Regional Tourism Chamber in Burgas.
The tourism sector anticipates an influx of tourists mainly from Romania, Poland, and Germany.
An increase in prices by 5-10% is expected, according to Puleva.