A series of protests and rallies organized by citizen groups and NGOs in the four Bulgarian cities of Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Kazanlak this week have sought to demonstrate what the campaigners describe as, “…massive public support for the protection of Vitosha Nature Park and Pirin National Park  from grossly illegal projects to construct ski runs and facilities in these iconic protected areas in Bulgaria.”

“Recently proposed changes to the Bulgarian Forest Act, which have already been approved by the Bulgarian government and are now being considered by the Bulgarian Parliament, would allow for expansion of ski runs and ski facilities by business groups with shady capital hiding behind offshore companies such as Vitosha Ski JSC and Yulen JSC,” said the campaigners in a statement which continues,

“In February 2012 two stages of the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup were organized in Bansko Ski Zone where 40% of the ski runs in Pirin National Park are illegally constructed by Yulen JSC.  Last week a leaked government report revealed that the Council of Ministers is taking steps to exclude 12% of the Pirin Mountain from the UNESCO World Heritage List. The aim is to allow further extension of Bansko Ski Zone and the construction of two new ski zones in the park thus endangering it.”

“At the end of February 2012 the Director of Vitosha Nature Park Toma Belev was replaced through a controversial procedure, which involved changes in the application rules in order to favour the newly appointed director.  Mr. Belev is known for his firm position against any illegal construction and has been actively protecting the oldest park in the Balkans for the benefit of the community.”

“Meanwhile, despite massive public opposition, the Bulgarian Parliament is on its way to amend 5 laws, including the Forest Act, in what seems as a “gift” to the offshore companies backed by “capital of dubious origin”.  The new legislation will favour the same persons and entities responsible for the widespread destruction of Bulgarian nature.”

“If passed as proposed, the amendments would go against the public interest and contravene EU and Bulgarian legislation on competition as well as nature protection. They would allow for the construction of ski runs and ski  facilities without changing land use. Furthermore, they would allow the acquisition of building rights on public land without tender and for an indefinite period.” 

“The amendments of the Forest Act come as a direct answer to the blackmail held by Vitosha Ski JSC from November 2011 when the company announced
that it will not open for business the ski facilities in Vitosha Mountain until  the amendments are passed.” 

Recently, famous Bulgarian actors, musicians, writers and TV presenters expressed their concern over the proposed amendments to Bulgaria’s Forest Act in a series of videos recorded for For the Nature Coalition – an umbrella group of organizations opposed to the ski areas expansion in national parkland, including the WWF.

“Also very controversial is Bulgaria’s Tourism Act which would allow the monopolization of the ski tourism by means of tailor made ski-runs-categorization rules that benefit only large ski resorts and jeopardize the existence of smaller ski runs.  It also introduces the monopoly in ski training in favour of the president of the Bulgarian Ski Federation Tseko Minev, linked by reports in the Bulgarian press to both Vitosha Ski JSC and Yulen JSC.”

“Another amendment is envisaged in the Concessions Act and is a direct attempt to legalize the use of 65 ha in Pirin National Park for which the  Minister of Environment and Water confirmed last year that were being used  illegally by Yulen JSC.

“The Spatial Planning Act amendments would allow the construction of “priority” projects outside built-up areas and with less control by central  government. The Physical Education and Sports Act will allow public sport  facilities, trails and mountain huts to be rented without tender to sport  federations and clubs instead of tourist societies.”
 
 
A group representing more than 30, mostly environmental organisations, including the WWF, has issued a statement questioning the FIS decision to stage the second Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Bansko, Bulgaria this season when, “…citizen groups and NGOs are concerned that the operator of Bansko Ski Zone has persistently violated Bulgarian and international environmental legislation and FIS regulations.  With close to 40% of the ski runs in Bansko being illegally built and operated, many fear this event has cast a shadow over FIS reputation.”

In 2011, Bulgaria’s Minister of Environment and Water Nona Karadzhova admitted that the operator of Bansko Ski Zone Yulen JSC was using a territory larger – by about 65 ha - than the one designated by the concession of Bansko Ski Zone.

“The ski run on which the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is being held is also built in breach of concession regulations.  Bansko Ski Zone is located within the boundaries of Pirin National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, EU Natura 2000 site as well as a protected area category II of IUCN,” said the statement.

“However, the breach of environmental legislation committed in Bansko Ski Zone is not only a national problem, but also goes against a number of International acts and FIS documents.  The FIS Competition Rules Book IV - Joint Regulations for Alpine Skiing, 650.6.1.1 states that “The applicant is responsible for the observance of applicable environmental regulations during development of the course including completion of any improvements required by the inspector.”

“Environmentalists in Bulgaria firmly believe that Bansko Ski Zone does not meet this requirement and should not have been awarded the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup.”

The statement goes on to make allegations regarding the financial arrangements behind the ski lift company and some of its funding.

Given that the Minister of Environment and Water made a public statement last year admitting that it had been built illegally – there was no longer any dispute about this.   As is always the case with such developments though – once done – what can be done?   There are no penalties currently being applied by the country or the EU.   To give park boundaries and rulings status – there must be penalties for non-compliance and certainly organizations such as the FIS should not be showing show tacit support by hosting events on such illegally built areas.  

The only open question was the timing of the statement versus the timing of the planning of the event – perhaps there was not time to make a switch?   If that is the case – will the FIS refuse to host any more events in Bansko to set an example for the future?
 
 
The latest twist in a long running saga between Bulgarian ski resort developers, the Bulgarian government, the EU and environmental campaigners has seen Bulgaria’s Minister of the Environment saying she will take steps to legalise the expansion of Bansko ski resort on to national park land, rather than tell the resort it must remove the illegal construction.

Bansko has been one of the big success stories of European ski resort development of the past decade, but for most of that time environmental campaigners have sought to highlight that part of the expansion has taken place on national park land, supposedly protected from development and part of a UNESCO world heritage site.

At one time the EC threatened to take action against Bulgaria over the illegal development and UNESCO status was threatened with withdrawal.  Polls of Bulgarians also found that most opposed the development which is many cases was carried out by foreign firms and fuelled by property investment from Western Europeans.

Over the years various Bulgarian ministers have made apparently contradictory and often inconclusive announcements on the issue but the latest statement by the Environment Minister does say that Bansko built ski lifts and pistes illegally on 250 acres of national park / UNESCO World Heritage site land.

The environment ministry surprised journalists and environmental groups by saying there was nothing that could be done about the development and that asking Bansko to remove the lifts would upset the country’s Ministries of the Economy and of Sport and be against the national interest.  Instead she said the government would legislate to make the illegal development retrospectively legal.

Veronica notes “Finally they have admitted that Bansko did build illegally – which makes one part clear.   Making it legal retrospectively could make a dangerous precedent – though could make it easier for the government to manage the resort more tightly from now on.   Sadly, removing any lifts won’t bring back the centuries old forest that was destroyed.   I still feel that the EU should maintain their actions over the boundaries of the UNESCO site and their fines at such a level to prevent such a tragedy happening again.”
 
 
Members of Bulgaria’s Green Party have called on the country’s Minister of Environment and her Deputy to resign along with the Director of the National Office for Nature Conservation, after the government gave the go ahead to ski area development in the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Pirin National Park.

Local media reports that Green Party protesters gathered in the country’s capital, Sofia, and claimed the facilities have been built by an ‘off shore company’ with unknown owners but that its public bodies were the same as Vitosha Ski, another off-shore company running Vitosha mountain.

"These are companies that have received millions from unauthorized state funding from the previous cabinet," Andrey Kovachev, Co-Chair of the Greens, told local media, added that the current government is supporting the same companies.

Mr Kovachev said the new ski facilities violate the UNESCO Convention concerning the protection of world cultural and natural heritage.

This is the latest in a long-running campaign between Bulgarian environmental activists and international ski resort developers in the country. Previous protest led to the sacking of the former Director of the Pirin National Park.

Mr Kovachev said the Greens would make weekly protests about the government’s position and if nothing changed would take the matter to the EU Parliament which he said could stop all funding of the country.

Veronica Tonge adds "the problems continue in Bulgaria, exacerbated by the lack of apparent clarity over who owns what land and who has the authority to grant development permission.  Bulgaria could take another route to develop a Responsible Skiing policy which would respect protected areas, encourage local economic development and showcase the distinctiveness that is abundant in Bulgaria.   Instead, the Governments seems to be supporting big scale, high impact developments that have dubious social and economic benefits to the local community and irreversible impacts to National Parks.
 
 
More than 40,000 people have signed a petition protesting against the planned expansion of Vitosha ski area in Bulgaria.

Increasingly vocal environmental campaigners said that the proposed expansion of the ski runs and lifts, with resulting deforestation, was illegal, when it submitted the petition to the Bulgarian government.

The protests began in 2008 when lift operator Vitosha Ski reportedly cleared about two hectares of mountainside for new lifts and runs.  It plans to expand the ski area by about 60 hectares, felling 33,000 trees in the process.  However environmentalists say Vitosha Ski only has the right to upgrade existing facilities and not to expand in any way and that the expansion activity violates for separate laws designed to protect the land on which the ski area expansion is proposed.
 
 
What do you picture when you think of a winter holiday in Bulgaria?  Perhaps somewhere a bit cheap and cheerful?   Somewhere with rather a lot of building work going on?   That you might get pressured to buy an apartment?  Maybe somewhere that’s ok for beginners but not good skiers?

Me too.

I have to say that much of the above is sadly true.  On my recent trip to Bulgaria, I visited the three key resorts of Pamporovo, Bansko and Borovets and yes – particularly for us exchange-rate challenged Brits – it was relatively cheap.   There were lots of apartments unfinished and for sale (though no-one tried to sell me one) but there was no actual building work going on – the recession has put a stop to that.   The piste skiing was – well – yes, better suited to beginners and intermediates.

In fact, there was a certain sadness about the ski resorts.   They were developed on a model similar to that which was successful for many resort developers in the United States - based on real estate sales.   That model, so dependent on a buoyant economy, has shown its flaws.  It has resulted in the loss of a lot of land, ghost towns of unsold apartments that even when sold would have remained empty for much of the time and probably a fairly ‘bland’ international experience with ‘enclaves’ of tourists kept separate from the villages and locals.  

Additionally, there are disputes locally about the boundaries of the ski resorts and national parks and Unesco is considering withdrawing its Biosphere accreditation for the uniqueness of national park around Bansko as the developers cut into and destroyed centuries old forests.

Not really Responsible Skiing is it?

However, what I am really pleased to report is that there is a completely different side to Bulgaria – which Lubomir Popiordanov of www.odysseia-in.com shared with me.   He is also the chairman of the Alternative Tourism Association and has developed a guidebook of small, characterful, family run hotels and is involved with an NGO dedicated to the sustainable development of a hut in the Balkan Mountain Range.   A fine person to show me round the ‘other’ side of Bulgaria.

And what did I find?

Well, firstly some fabulous family run hotels where you are treated to some wonderful local delicacies – and the food is delicious – though it’s probably a good thing I didn’t stay too long – I was in danger of getting seriously addicted to Bulgarian bread!  And in case you were thinking the standard might be lacking – definitely not so – all were spotless with modern bathrooms and seriously comfortable beds and one even had a wellness area – very Austrian.   

Secondly, wonderful hospitality from everyone I met – keen to share the beauty and potential of their country – and their plum brandy!   

Thirdly, some beautiful landscapes – wild and untouched – unlike some regions of the Alps that are almost overmanaged for tourism.  

Fourthly, snowshoeing – a wonderful way to explore the mountains – in peace and away from the hoards and ski touring for the more adventurous.  

Fifthly, a culture that I knew nothing about; from the Thracians to the icon artists who pre-empted the Renaissance to the ornately decorated churches.  

Sixthly, some wonderful taverns down cobbled streets with regional food and richly decorated local pottery. 

Seventhly – is that a word?  Well, I could go on and on.... 

Now we’re talking Responsible Skiing – Bulgaria has so much potential and so much to delight the international traveller in search of the authentic and so much to offer for a real winter holiday.
 
 
Veronica Tonge has just returned from Sofia, Bulgaria where she was a speaker at the International Conference of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum.   The conference was the culmination of a project examining current tourism development in Bulgaria and bringing the concepts of Responsible Tourism to the industry - focussing particularly on golf, sea and ski tourism.

The conference was well attended with participants from both the private and public sectors and various environmental organisations.   There was an interesting variety of speakers from around Europe.   Veronica Tonge introduced the audience to the concept of Responsible Skiing and some of the issues and solutions for pistes, artificial snow, lifts and off-piste skiing.   She then shared case studies from around the world and the importance of Responsible Skiing development for local communities and the environment.  This was echoed by Lucy McCombes of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism who presented the Business Case for Responsible Tourism.

Day two of the conference was a workshop, where developers from Bulgarian ski, sea and golf resorts presented their plans to the “international experts” who were able to cross examine them on what they were doing, in practice, in terms of Responsible Tourism.   Development company, Rilasport, shared details of their plans for the new Panachiste ski resort in the Rila mountains of Bulgaria.  Veronica Tonge questioned their commitments to Responsible Skiing development and a lively discussion ensued demonstrating the difficulties of tourism development in a post-transition economy where ownership is not always clear and municipal leadership lacking.   The debate highlighted the complexities of developing ski tourism (often with external private financing) to bring economic development to rural areas whilst protecting the environment.
 
 
Veronica Tonge has been invited to speak at the International Conference of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum in Sofia in January 2010.    The Conference is entitled “The Business Benefits of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) in Tourism and will be followed by an Expert workshop the next day.   Veronica will be making a presentation on Responsible Skiing and, together with other international presenters, will focus on creating Responsible Tourism and sharing examples from around the world.