[size=55:dhf1bf0v]Sofia echo 30July 2010

Party zone

They are noisy, exuberant and move in groups from one bar to the next. They have a very rigid programme for visiting night spots, drafted even before they get there. They drink from dusk till dawn, then go to sleep, wake up at some point in the afternoon and start partying again.

If you go to Slunchev Bryag (Sunny Beach) now, you will see them. They are the new typical tourists at big Black Sea resorts. The built-up seaside complexes are gradually divesting themselves of the image of family destinations and turning into youth ones. This trend started years ago, but it has already changed the profile of summer tourism. And if, some time ago, youth tourism was a taboo topic and was looked at askance, now these places advertise themselves as resorts where the party never stops. This image is being promoted online, with foreign TV stations shooting reports about parties on the Black Sea and attracting new fans in the process.

This is the natural development for Bulgaria's mass seaside tourism. When a place is built up with thousands of buildings and there is nothing between them except bars and discos, then it naturally turns into a party zone. Even more so when you find cheap alcohol, lots of music and easily available pleasures.

Youth only

Young party-goers looking for cheap alcohol and seaside establishments have been coming to Bulgaria for at least five to six years. Except that nowadays they predominate, according to the tourism industry. There are travel agencies that specialise in this kind of tourism. Big companies like TUI and Thomas Cook even have divisions for young tourists.

"
Young tourists are growing as a ratio of most travel operators. It is not just Germans and Britons that come here, but also Scandinavians and, from this year, tourists from Israel. Their number is constantly growing,"
according to Bogdan Hristov from the company representing in TUI. He said that up to 30 per cent of all tourists on the Black Sea are young.

"
The profile of tourists has entirely changed. It is mostly young tourists coming now, replacing elderly visitors. Families with children are also fewer. Take a walk around the hotel pools and you will see that it is full of young people,"
according to Ventsislav Tanchev, who represents Germany's Altours in Bulgaria. Both Slunchev Bryag (Sunny Beach) and Zlatni Pyassutsi (Golden Sands) are already setting aside parts of the resorts for young tourists. The hotels are set aside for this group, so that there are no conflicts with other visitors.

One such place is Poseidon in Slunchev Bryag, whose manager Galin Tenev said that he's been working with youth programmes for three years. The guests are aged 18 to 28 and come with one thing on their mind – partying. That is always accompanied by alcohol and that often causes conflicts.

But, according to Tenev, the situation can be easily handled. The hotel always has a representative of the travel agency, which is responsible for the guests. "
If you tell them from the start that there are rules that must be followed, problems are rare. If not, the violators are gone,"
Tenev said.

The change in the profile of tourists leads to a change in the product itself. The specialisation of the hotels is only one change. There are also more clubs and more parties are being organised, including a recent party thrown in Zlatni Pyassutsi, featuring international DJs, recorded by RTL. Almost like in Ibiza.

Naturally, another reason for foreign TV stations to film in Bulgarian resorts is when the police arrest some tourist in alcoholic delirium or whenever there is a mass brawl between locals and foreigners.

Travel agencies and hotel owners have also started offering services sought by young customers, such as all-day breakfasts. Unlike most regular hotels, where breakfast is served between nine and 10am, the youth hotels offer it throughout the day. So, if the guests wake up at noon, they can still have breakfast.

Consequences

Tourism industry sources say that the trend will grow in coming years. Travel operators are already planning on hosting more young tourists next summer. The effect is two-fold.

One synonym of youth tourism is alcohol tourism. And where there is alcohol, there is conflict, stress and police, which is the negative effect of this profile of business. Which begs the question of why hotel owners and travel agencies still do it.

First of all, it is because that fills hotel beds. Whenever a hotel puts out an offer, it can fill up within days, Tenev said. Young tourists travel in groups and book a large number of rooms. As a comparison, families and other types of guests do so much slower.

Young tourists also spend money. They come with a certain budget and always spend it to the last coin, while other types of guests are trying to save money and not spend more than their all inclusive package. Young tourists spend much more outside the hotel at bars, restaurants and nightclubs.

The market is big and has potential for further growth, which means that both hotels and travel operators can count on more future revenues, making them very open to this kind of guests, especially in a time of crisis and over-supply.

Importantly, travel agencies often prepay the booked beds, which guarantees fresh revenue for hotel owners. There is another reason – tourists aged 18 to 20 are very undemanding when it comes to service. The staff do not have to wear bow ties or even smile, a rarity in Bulgaria anyway.

Not necessarily bad

The combination of built-up resorts, mass opening of bars and nightclubs, cheap alcohol (especially compared to Western European and Scandinavian prices) and plain service led to the natural profiling of big resorts. But the trend can have negative consequences – it moves away from the image of a luxury destination, a place to holiday for families, with rich nature and culture. But the chaotic investor abundance of initiative is what led to it.

Given the situation, you might as well look on the bright side of things. There are places in the world to lie on endless lonesome beaches, but there are also places where noisy parties do not end until dawn. The Slunchev Bryag beach is overcrowded, so it is easier to sell the place as a true party zone. And that generates revenue. Example: Ibiza.