BBC News – Close Up coverage on Bulgarian music

In an ongoing series, BBC News focuses on aspects of life in countries and cities around the world. What may seem ordinary and familiar to the people who live there, can be surprising to those who do not.

Chalga, or pop folk, is a phenomenon in Bulgaria – combining traditional folk music with Eastern European and Asian influences and driving beats.

But it is a style which is both loved – particularly by wealthy young urbanites – and loathed by traditionalists, who consider it tawdry.

Janet Barrie visited a chalga dance club in Sofia to find out more.

Click here to watch BBC Close Up

Oman, UK firm to build $1.1 bln Bulgarian resort

MUSCAT, Feb 7 (Reuters) – Oman’s government investment arm and a unit of Britain’s Equest Investment Balkans Plc (EIB.L: Quote, Profile, Research) are building an 800 million euro ($1.1 billion) ski resort in Bulgaria, an Omani government official said on Sunday.
“State General Reserve Fund (SGRF) owns 40 percent of the project and the other major investor is Equest,” the government official close to the project, who declined to be identified, told Reuters.

“The resort, just one hour from Sofia airport, is expected to be completed in 2012,” he added.

Equest Investment invests in property in the Balkan region.

SGRF, the Omani government investment arm run by the ministry of finance, bought a controlling stake in Equest in early 2009. (Reporting by Saleh al-Shaibany; Editing by David Holmes) ($1=.7292 euro)

Click here to read article on Reuters.com

30 golf tour operators and journalists will visit the Bulgarian Golf resorts

Eight years, since the first participation of Bulgaria in the IGTM in 2002, 30 foreign golf tour operatorts and journalists will visit the leading golf clubs and resorts in Bulgaria in April this year.
The interest to the golf tourism in Bulgaria grew with the opening of several brand new golf courses and the advertisement of the Bulgarian golf resorts at the exhibitions in Marbeya and Malaga during the last 2 years. The Bulgarian golf tour operators organize these visits for their foreign colleagues from the IAGTO and journalists in April, to present the best of the golf industry in Bulgaria.

The black sea coastline offers 2 of the top golf courses in the region. “BlackSeaRama” Golf course was announced, the top brand new golf course in the world in 2019. The famous Gary Player announced that “Trachian cliffs” golf course will surely be among the top 5 golf resorts in Europe.

Except the golf courses in the Dobrudzha region the guests will visit also Albena, Golden Sands, cape Kaliakra, Balchik, Varna and Sofia.
The golf courses in Pravets, Ravno pole and “Pirin golf and country club” will be also presented to the attention of the guests. A strong prerequisite for the development of golf tourism in Bulgaria are the natural resources, culture and history inheritance.