Sustainable Development Model for Mountain Tourist Territories in Bulgaria after the Crisis Period
Sustainable Development Model for Mountain Tourist Territories in Bulgaria after the Crisis Period

Summary/Abstract: In the study, we propose a model for the sustainable development of the Bulgarian mountain tourism resorts. The model is developed based on the limitation of the seasonality in their supply and overcoming the results of the pandemic. The winter tourism is the second most competitive and meaningful type of tourism in Bulgaria after the recreational sea tourism. The country has significant natural resources in the mountainous territory, however, the quality of tourism supply in the mountain regions is significantly restricted due to the seasonality factor. The problems have deepened after the closure of the biggest winter resort in the country, Bansko, at the beginning of 2020 due to the pandemic crisis. In the current situation, not only seasonality is a limiting factor for the development of tourism. This requires the use of various research techniques to provide new solutions for the organisation of the tourism process. In the publication, we have used quantitative and qualitative methods, induction, deduction, expert and consumer studies, brainstorming, logic methods, modelling and idealisation to identify the causes of the problems in tourism and find adequate solutions to deal with them. The purpose is to find opportunities for extending the season and overcoming the decline of journeys and visits of mountain resorts. The proposed method does not cover all the possibilities for mountain regions development in Bulgaria but is a relevant solution for the current situation. It can be used as a possibility for sustainable development in other tourism resorts limited by seasonality or crisis.

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