There are almost no Russian and Turkish tourists in Bulgarian winter resorts. The reason for this is not only the pandemic, BNR correspondent Keti Trencheva has reported. The big problem is visas and the cumbersome procedure for issuing them. The topic has been raised once again by the tourism industry in the ski resort of Bansko, which is making efforts to attract guests from the Russian and Turkish markets.

According to Malin Bistrin, chairman of the Union of Tourism Business in Bansko, the state's idleness towards Russian and Turkish tourists seemed like a crime against Bulgarian tourism. Saying that visa restrictions follow the logic of EU rules, the industry points Greece as an example, as it issues multiple-entry visas to Turkish tourists for a period of 6 to 12 months.

If a day ago Cyprus announced that in April it would open its doors to tourists from Israel where the vaccination process is fast, the access of Israeli tourists to Bulgaria remains problematic because Bulgaria does not offer easier entering for vaccinated guests from abroad during the pandemic.