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SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis

Religious Cultural Touristic services in

Partner: BRTA Released: July 9th 2012

What is the SWOT analysis It’s an analysis support to the choices and it answers the need for streamlining decision-making

In general, European regulations requiring it for the evaluation of plans and programs

What is its use

The SWOT analysis identifyies the main strategic guidelines in relation to an overall objective of economic development or sectoral

Structure of Swot Analysis

1. Strenght. Detect the strengths points of the observed object on which to bet on (micro) 2. Weakness. Detect the weak points of the observed object and so the things have to be improved (micro) 3. Opportunities. The benefits that can come from outside (eg. favorable regulations, economic benefitis, economic and social changes, etc.) (macro) 4. Threats. Events that may hinder or slow down our projects (macro)

When you use ex-ante phase to improve the integration of a program or project in its context Intermediate phase determine, in relation to changes in context, if the lines of action identified are still relevant and provides a tool to decide changes to the program (our case) Ex-post phase serves to contextualize the results of the final plans and programs

THE OPERATIVE PHASE

Description of context (overview)

A brief description of the Assigned Theme in the country (Religious Cultural assets Potential value or touristic services or training needs and population wider attitude)

Bulgaria is located in Southeast , in the northeast part of the Balkan Peninsula. Its territory is located between 44°13’ and 41°14’ north latitude, 22°22’ and 28°37’ east longitude. It is a European, Balkan, and country. This geographic location places it on the crossroad between Europe, and Africa.

Lifestyles and cultures in what is now Bulgaria have developed over thousands of years. The country is located at the crossroad between Europe and Asia, and the lands of Bulgaria have been populated since antiquity. The and proto- were greatly influenced by the cultures of the , Illyrians and , and all peoples who resided on these lands – Thracians, Romans, Slavs, and Bulgarians – have contributed to the world’s cultural heritage. It is no accident that the earliest European civilization grew up here. Some of the most famous treasures in the world were discovered at the Varna necropolis, including the worlds oldest golden ornaments; There are Thracian tombs and sanctuaries in , Sveshtari, Starosel, Aleksandrovo, , and Tatul. A large number of other golden artifacts have been found, in the , Valchitran, Rogozen, and elsewhere. The remains of the Thracian, Hellenistic and Roman culture are many and varied. In the dozens of Thracians tombs that have been discovered, there are unique remains attesting to the high material and spiritual culture of antiquity. Entire city complexes had been found – Augusta Trayana, Trimontium, Nikopolis ad Istrum, Pautalia, Akre, Mesemvria, Apolonia, Serdika and many others. The traditions, festivals, customs, and rituals preserved by Bulgarians through the ages are evidence of the country’s profound spirituality and its dynamic lifestyle and culture.

Bulgarian customs are rooted in antiquity and are closely tied to the country’s history and particular expression of Eastern Orthodox . Dancing on live coals is an ancient

Bulgarian ritual still practiced in a few villages in the Balkan . The ritual in its authentic form is performed on the name day of Konstantin and Helena – 21 May or (3 June according to the old calendar. Fire dancers prepare for their dance by spending hours locked in a chapel, venerating the icons of these two saints while listening to the beating of drums and the music of gaidas (Bulgarian bagpipes), which is a special melody associated with fire dancing, after which they often fall into trance. In the evening they perform their special dance on live coals. During their dance they always hold aloft in both hands an icon of Konstantin and Saint Helena. Amazingly, they never get hurt or burn their feet.

“Mummers” is another local tradition that also found in other societies in the world. The Mummer games are special customs and rituals conducted most often on New Year’s Eve and at Shrovetide. They are only performed by men, who wear special masks and costumes that have been made for the occasion by each of the participants. The mummers’ ritual dances are said to chase away bad spirits and demons at the beginning of every year, so as to greet the new year cleansed and charged with positive energy.

“Laduvane” is another interesting ritual thatis performed on the New Year’s Eve, George’s Day, Midsummer’s Eve and St. Lazar’s Day. At this ritual young women predict their future in marriage and the men they will marry. They address Lada, the goddess of love and family life, to ask her about their future husbands.

“Lazaruvane” is a ritual related to coming of spring. It is conducted on St. Lazar’s Day, eight days before Easter. The date of the celebration varies, but it is always on the Saturday before the celebration of Palm Sunday. On this day willow branches are picked and used to decorate the doors of houses on the following day. Then the young maidens in the villages pick flowers to shape as garlands on Palm Sunday. On Saturday maidens gather in the home of one of their number and dress in festive clothes decorated with flowers and sprigs. Then they walk through the village from house to house, offering blessings for good health and rich harvests. They are invited in and given small gifts. Probably the most important symbol of Bulgaria is the ritual of making and giving for health and happiness at the beginning of

March. For Bulgarians this is a symbol of the year’s renewal, again intended to promote health and successful harvests.

Especially well-respected in Bulgaria are traditions related to the circle of life – birth, christening, wedding, and funeral. Saints’ name days are also highly respected in the country, the most famous ones being St. John’s day, St. George’s Day, and St. Dimitar’s Day.

The holidays that are most honored by Bulgarians are undoubtedly and Easter – when the generations all celebrate together, united by the feeling of belonging to the harmonious Bulgarian family. Also especially highly honored are the first Sunday before Lent, the second Sunday before Lent, Mother’s Day, All Soul’s Day, and Lent.

While traveling around the country, tourists will become acquainted with various rituals and customs, many of which are typical only for specific regions in Bulgaria.

The Rose is the symbol of Bulgaria. Rose picking, one of the oldest and traditional customs of Bulgarians, has become primarily a tourist attraction. from the time of the Bulgarian Revival are now highly valued works of art. The major centers of are Kotel, and . Along with traditional handicrafts, Bulgaria’s people have also preserved a wide range of traditional popular customs and songs.

There are a number of architectural reserves in the country that preserve the unique Bulgarian architecture from the age of the Revival (18th – 19th centuries) – , , Bozhentsi, , , and Melnik, among others. In some of the ethnographic complexes, such as Etara, , and Old , tourists can appreciate first-hand and handicrafts, since residents continue to make articles according to old techniques passed down from generation to generation.

During the Bulgarian Revival, the monasteries served as centers of artistic and educational activity. There are still many working monasteries in the country – Monastery, , Monastery, Monastery, Glozhene Monastery, Monastery, Shipchenski Monastery, and others. Our country is also famous for its well-established

national traditions of icon painting and wood carving. The best known icons and carvings are from Samokov, Tryavna and Bansko.

The Bulgarian national costume is an intrinsic part of Bulgarian lifestyle and culture. Over the ages, folk costume designs have been influenced by Thracian, Slavonic and ancient Bulgarian motives. The basic article of clothing is a white shirt with long sleeves, worn under vests and coats of various shapes, materials and decorations. There are four types of national female costumes: the single apron, the double apron, the tunic, and the sayana, and there are two types of national male costumes: white-shirt and black-shirt. Each ethnographic area (Dobrich, , Rhodope, Northern, Thracian and ) has its own typical workday, holiday and wedding costumes.

An important part Bulgarian culture is and national dances, such as the horo. Instruments typically used to perform Bulgarian national music are the fiddle, the mandolin, the kaval (flute), the gaida (bagpipe), the pipe, the dvoyanka (double pipe), the drum and the taranbuka, another percussion instrument. Bulgarian folksongs are handed down orally from one generation to the next. The ensembles “Cosmic Voices”, “The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices” and the folklore ensemble “Pirin” are internationally famous. Bulgarian traditional dances are exceptionally vivid forms of artistic expression. Most often they are performed by a group of people touching palms in a closed or open circle, semicircle, serpentine pattern, or in a straight line. Participants perform similar movements in unison, along with gestures and steps to a specific melody (the horo). Depending on the rhythm and the steps, there are a number of horo types: the standard horo, the rachenitsa, the paydushko horo and the improvised horo.

Bulgaria’s museums preserve valuable collections of domestic, cultural and military articles; statues, burial steles and monuments; masks, mosaics, and small statuettes of ancient gods; and many other precious exhibits.

Bulgarians have developed their culture and enriched it over the millennia, and they preserve it and continue to develop it to the present day. In more recent times, Bulgarians have also

had reason to take pride in their literature, arts, music, and architecture. A proof of ongoing involvement is Bulgaria’s rich cultural calendar of national and international festivals for young and old alike, as well as other gatherings, cultural events, and expositions.

CULTURAL

Bulgaria is a country with thousands of years of history and a cultural heritage that embraces ancient civilizations. Visitors will find much to interest them in the country’s history, culture, ethnography, religion, architecture and the arts. Unique archaeological sites abound throughout the country – ancient settlement mounds from the Neolithic age, Thracian sanctuaries and tombs, remains of Roman cities, Byzantine and Medieval fortresses, architectural reserves, ethnographic complexes, churches and monasteries, Tekkes (mosques), among many others.

Despite the fact that it occupies only 2% of Europe’s territory, about 40,000 historical monuments have been registered in Bulgaria (7 of which are included in the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage sites), 36 cultural reserves, 160 monasteries, and roughly 330 museums and galleries. This includes prehistoric finds, Thracian tombs, sites from the Greek Age, Roman fortresses, historical monuments from the time of the First and the Second Bulgarian Kingdoms, and architectural landmarks from the Age of Revival.

Emblematic for Bulgaria are the monuments included in the UNESCO List: the Kazanlak Tomb (4th – 3rd century BC), the Thracian Tomb by the village of Sveshtari near (3rd century BC), the Madara Horseman (8th century), the (10th – 11th century), the Ivanovo Rock Churches near Ruse (10th – 14th century), the (10th century), the Old Town in .

The Karanovska settlement mound provides a basis for determining the Karanovska Neolithic periods and serves as a model for understanding the development of European prehistoric cultures. Of great interest is the Valley of the Thracian Kings, in which more than 15 tombs have been discovered. Perperikon is also located in the territory of our country. It is considered to be the temple of God Dionysus containing a prophecy chamber equal in importance to the one dedicated to Apollo at Delphi. It is believed that this was the capital of

the Odryssian Kingdom. The largest Thracian royal complex with a mausoleum temple in Southeast Europe was discovered in the region of the village of Starosel. The oldest in the world was discovered in the Varna necropolis. Many Thracian golden treasures have also been found, such as the Panagyurishte, Valchitran, and Rogozen treasures. There are numerous remains of the Thracian, Hellenistic and Roman culture. Entire Roman city complexes have been found at Augustra Trayana, Trimontium, Nikopolis ad Istrum, Pautalia, Akre, Mesemvria, Apolonia, Serdika, and other sites.

Many of Bulgaria’s monasteries have been instrumental in preserving the Bulgarian Orthodox faith and culture. Some of them are the Rila Monastery, Bachkovo Monastery, , Zemen Monastery, Rozhen Monastery, Kilifarevski Monastery, , among others. In the country there are also many churches that house unique examples of the Bulgarian iconographic, woodcarving and painting schools and that possess valuable manuscripts. The relics of St. John the Baptist were found on the island of St. John off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast.

Cultural monuments from the Bulgarian Revival period can be found in many of its cities, towns, and villages, such as those in Kotel, Koprivshtitsa, , , Sopot, , Tryavna, Bansko, Melnik. the Old , Gela, , , Orehovo, , Arda, Dolen, Leshten, , , Bozhentsi, Ribaritsa, Zheravna, Oreshak, Medven, Skandalo, Arbanasi, Balgari, Kosti, , and Mladezhko. There are many ways for visitors to appreciate Bulgarian crafts such as woodcarving, embroidery, pottery, and knitting. For example, there is the architectural and ethnographic open-air museum at Etara, near , the ethnographic complexes The Old Dobrich and Chiflika near , Bansko, the ethnographic complex Kulata - Kazanlak, the ethnographic complex at Zlatograd, Varosha – , the ethnographic complex Brashlyan – , and others.

There are also opportunities to observe traditional economic activities in our lands, such as the manufacture of and wine production.

Bulgaria has an exceptionally diverse calendar that preserves the country’s folk traditions and customs - Surva (St. Vasil’s Day), St. Jordan’s Day – , St. John’s Day, St. Anton’s Day,

Trifon Zarezan, Martuvane (giving martenitsas), the first Sunday before Lent, Mummer’s Day, St. Todor’s Day, the Annunciation Day, Easter, St. George’s Day, the Day of Virgin Mary, St. Dimitar’s Day, All Souls Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas. Many Bulgarian village celebrations and folkways preserve ancient traditions and customs, such as St. Lazar’s Day, Palm Sunday, the mummers, carol singing, fire-dancing and many others. Exceptionally attractive are the folklore festivals and gatherings – for instance, the International Mummers Festival “Starchevata” (), the International Festival of Masquerade Games “Surva” (), the Ethnicities Gathering (municipality of ), the International Folklore Festival (), the National Folklore Festival “Rozhen”, the International Bagpipe Festival in the village of Gela, and many others.

There are more than 200 museums in the country - the unique Museum of Salt in the town of , the Museum of Roses in Kazanlak, the Museum of Transport in Ruse, the Museum of Woodcarving in Tryavna, the Museum of Humor in Gabrovo, the Museum of Medical History in Varna, the Museum of Mosaics in , the Polytechnic Museum in Sofia City, the National Museum of Anthropology in Sofia, the Museum of Wine in , the National History Museum, the museum “Earth and its People,” and many others.

The country’s calendar abounds in cultural events. Some of these are the Sofia Film Fest, the festival “Love is Folly” in Varna, the festival “Varna Summer”, the “Music Days in March” in Ruse, the “Sofia Music Weeks”, “Apolonia”, “Spirit of ”, the Rock Fest, and many others.

FOREIGN TOURISTS IN BULGARIA

Within the period January – December 2011 Bulgaria was visited by total of 8 712 821 foreigners. The increase compared to the previous year is 4.0%. Visits with tourism purpose, according to the definitions of the World Tourism Organization are 6 328 023. Their number is by 4.6% more compared to 2010. There is increase in relaxation and vacation visits of 6.1%, as 4 484 248 visits have been realized; in the visits for business purposes of 4.1%, as 971 735 visits have been realized; and in guest visits of 0.5% – 144 308 visits. There is decrease in the other visits of (-2%), as 727 732 visits have been realized (-13.2%); and there is also decrease in guest visits – 143,591 visits (-5.2%). 2 384 798 foreigners have passed transit through the country, which is by 2.5% more than the previous year.

Strength Positive elements detected. - Diversity of natural and cultural tourist resources located on a small territory which offers good accessibility and opportunities for tourism development; - Beautiful and clean environment of tourism sights - Excellent climate conditions; - Rich and internationally famous cultural and historic heritage and preserved traditions; - Geographic proximity to the main tourist markets; - Hospitability of local people; - Renewed accommodation and hotels; - Image of a safe destination; - Attractive cuisine and quality wines;

Weakness Negative or weak detected. - Lack of well recognized image of Bulgaria as a tourist destination; - Strong territorial disproportion and dependency of the product by the recreational tourism; - Insufficient infrastructure inside the country (roads, public transport); - Lack of tourist offices abroad; - Not well trained and experienced staff; - Lack of well planned land use in the tourist regions; - An initial stage for the development of PPP; - Insufficient information in Internet about Bulgaria as a tourist destination; - Not quite attractive museums, galleries, attractions that exhibit the Bulgarian cultural and historic heritage;

Opportunities Potential or real positive elements from the external environment. - Availability of rich tourist potential for diversification of the offers and overcoming of seasonality in tourism; - Opportunities for diversification of the offered tourism products; - Development of specialized types of tourism; - Increase of the offered additional tourist services; - Domestic tourism and tourism from the neighboring countries for weekend holidays; - Improvement of the qualification and skills of the tourism staff; - Attract foreign investment in tourism;

Threats Negative or weak elements that hamper the enhancement of the theme. - Economic and financial crises - Increase of the prices of the offered tourist services - Competitors from neighboring countries; - Negative impact of for’s major circumstances such as natural phenomena, terroristic actions, etc. - Bad parameters of the environment; - Lack of adequate territorial and spatial plans and tourist regions.

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