Main Characteristics of the Accommodation Facilities in Rural Areas: The Case Study of Bulgarian North-West Region
Main Characteristics of the Accommodation Facilities in Rural Areas: The Case Study of Bulgarian North-West Region

Author(s): Desislava Varadzhakova, Stefan Genchev
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Economy, National Economy, Methodology and research technology, Rural and urban sociology, Tourism
Published by: Academia Română, Filiala Iași Institutul de Cercetări Economice și Sociale „Gheorghe Zane”
Keywords: Rural areas; Accommodation facilities; Tourism; Bulgaria; North-West Region;
Summary/Abstract: Tourism sector is very important for the Bulgarian economy. Before the pandemic of COVID-19 it generates between 10% and 12% of the country’s GDP. The present paper discusses the specifics of the tourism business in the rural areas. For the purpose of the study the research object are the accommodation facilities in these areas. The North-West Region of Bulgaria is chosen as a researched area because it is the least economically developed area in the country. There are 46 rural areas, evenly distributed in the five provinces of the region. The main types of accommodation, their characteristics, their territorial location compared to major urban centers and their relationship with the number of tourist attractions in the researched areas are identified. The main goal of the paper is to explore the potential for development of tourism in rural areas, based on a study of the accommodation facilities in the rural areas in the North-West Region of Bulgaria. The research includes an analysis of the disparities between the different rural areas, the possible reasons for them, as well as the opportunities for tourism development. The conclusions that have been made can become the basis for the development of tourism products and regional strategies for the development of specialized and alternative types of tourism.

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