TravelTill

Economy of Bansko


JuteVilla
Bansko, once mainly a stockbreeding and travelling merchant community, has become an international centre for winter and summer tourism. The mountain peaks near the town, the numerous lakes and the old pine woods make it a popular site for recreation. Bulgaria's share in European winter tourism is steadily rising, and Bansko increasingly competes with resorts in France and Switzerland due to the comparative lower costs but not in quality.

Improvements to the infrastructure and organisation of the ski area on Todorka have been made annually to accommodate the rising number of tourists. A gondola lift was built from town in 2003, replacing the minibus ride to the primary base area of Banderishka Poliana. As of 2010, the ski area has 75 km (47 mi) of ski runs, 27 lifts and drags, serving up to 24,500 persons per hour. The lift-served summit rises to anelevation of 2,600 m (8,500 ft) above sea level. The vertical drop is nearly 1,000 m (3,300 ft) to the base area at Banderishka Poliana, and over 1,600 m (5,200 ft) with the ski runs to town

The nearby village of Banya, located only 5 km (3 mi) from the town, is known for its 27 thermal mineral springs.

The town is served by the scenic narrow gauge line from Septemvri to Dobrinishte. Regular bus connections are available to Sofia, Plovdiv, Blagoevgrad, Gotse Delchev, Razlog, among others.

Many of the infrastructure problems have been given attention to since 2009. The small portion of unfinished apartments are now being given attention as well. Due to the global recovery from the financial crisis and the more realistic pricing, apartments are attracting more buyers from across Europe. In 2010 the resort recovered from the crisis and has seen record profits.

The ski area is very tightly controlled by some of the most restrictive development laws in Europe. As a norm 12/5% of European national parks can be set aside for tourist services whilst in Bansko only 3.3% is set aside. With new
previous12next
JuteVilla