Bulgaria Tourism Minister Slams at Umbrella, Deck Chair Prices

The maximum price for an umbrella and a deck chair on a Black Sea beach is "absurd", Bulgarian Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelkova has warned.

She has confirmed that, according to government information, there were reports of beaches offering umbrellas and deck chairs for BGN 57 (EUR 28.5) per day. Many hotels along Bulgaria's Black Sea coastline offer cheaper rooms.

In an interview with private national NOVA TV channel, Angelkova said the cabinet was already working on how to increase Bulgaria's attractiveness as a tourist destination for the summer of 2016, to avoid drops similar to this year.

Early estimates suggest the decrease in numbers of tourists might be double-digit, and to some extent this is owed to the fewer Russian tourists who before the Ukrainian conflict and the currency crisis traditionally chose the Black Sea for their summer holidays.

Angelkova called on the government and tourism businesses to join hands to improve the conditions offered by resorts.

In her words, different options will be offered to beach concessioners to lower umbrella and deck chair prices where these have reached "absurd" levels.