Bulgarian winter resorts were severely slammed in the face by the International Ski Association (FIS). As they bluntly explained in spite of the qualities that show Bansko and Pamporovo as organizers of major sporting events, the local players are still too young to be compared with Kitzbuehel, Kranjska Gora and Madonna di Campiglio. Last season, the state and the municipality of Bansko spent 8 million levs for a perfect hosting of the rounds of World Alpine Cup for men and women, but officials from the world headquarters on incomprehensible reasons sliced the country’s chances of entering into the calendar for the current year. Although international stars like Bode Miller, Ted Ligety, Benny Raich, Aksel Lund, Lindsey Vonn and Maria Riesch said they were impressed with the track called Alberto Tomba, as well as of Bulgarian hospitality and the excellent organization. The event was watched by 300 million TV viewers. But it was not enough to overcome the candidate cities from the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, Austria and traditional ski centers like Moscow. Their lobbies in the Technical Committee of the FIS are obviously stronger. Even the presence of the head of the national ski association Tseko Minev at the meeting in Zurich did not help and Bansko is not among the 15 resort hosts. Another issue is that 12 of them were previously known. Our biggest ski resort has managed to sneak only into the preliminary programme of the FIS for season 2015/2016 with the super giant slalom and downhill for women. And for coming season Pamporovo will host only two giant slalom races for the European Cup for women on 23-24 January 2013.
After Bansko failed to enter the ski high life, hoteliers in the city justifiably started worrying how they will survive a tough winter. The Tourist Association of Bansko, as well as other organizations addressed a letter to the concessionaire of the ski slopes and lifts in Bansko – Yulen as well as to the Mayor Georgi Ikonomov so that the pass prices for the use of facilities may be announced two months before the season’s start and establish a bonus system for hotels who buy cards for their guests. The big discounts on ski vacations with included ski passes offered by the tour operator Balkan Holidays will effectively eliminate small businesses in the tourism market, predict hotel operators. They argue that the closure of local restaurants in the mountains is the beginning of a trend leading to monopoly, and cards for ski instructors from 5000 levs is prohibitive for local schools and will lead to bankruptcy. This is a threat also by the reorientation to the gondola lift, which suspends access to their facilities.
In spite of all this, the concessionaire of the ski zone Bansko was at least able to provide an attractive opening for the season. On December 15th in the country for the event will come legendary Hermann Maier, winner of two Olympic titles in Nagano ’98, and four times winner of the grand crystal globe as the winner in the overall World Cup standings. Besides him, the traditionally start of the season will be attended by the best Bulgarian skier of all time Peter Popangelov and the five-time № 1 in the world rankings Marc Girardelli. Small consolation for the town is the fact that between 18 and 26 February 2013, it will host the European Biathlon Championship. Between 8 and 10 March the best freeride skiers and snowboarders will show their skills.
Bansko will also be the host of not so cash-intensive competitions like CAPPY Cup and FIS Alpine speed races and Pirin Cup. Pamporovo least managed to keep their position of a host of the European Cup Skiing. The national championship’s is shared between the two resorts and this puts probably an end to the list of important events in the internal calendar.
The BANKER
