Bulgarian Sunny Beach resort concerns because of cancelled charter flights from Belarus

The news about the cancelled charter flights from Belarus to Bulgaria’s seaside cities of Varna and Bourgas greatly worries the tourist industry in the country. The reason is that Ukraine has closed its airspace because of the scandal over the landing of a passenger plane in Minsk and the detention of journalist and oppositionist Roman Protasevich.

Tourists from Belarus are a major market in Bulgaria’s largest seaside resort, Sunny Beach. The situation is very worrying, as more than 20 hotels by the sea remain closed.

"These people are not to blame. This is the main flow of tourists we can expect plus the Bulgarians. We may lose all. Some of the colleagues will not open. The worst thing is that the destination for the second year will it will be half empty and if it continues like this we have to close the destination, " hotelier Veselin Nalbantov said.

All flights for the beginning of June from Belarus to the airports in Bourgas and Varna were cancelled, although they were full. The charter programme is postponed until June 18, and an option will be sought to redirect and perform flights through Russia.

Dozens of hotels by the sea have relied on tourists from Eastern Europe. Now, however, many of them will remain empty.

Following the cancellation of flights from Russia and Belarus, the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Organization will submit a letter to the Ministry of Tourism asking to lift the requirement for presenting PCR test results for tourists from Hungary. Thus, the industry hopes to save the summer season.