5Tourism to the country is racing upwards. Between 2003 and 2004, the number of Britons visiting Bulgaria rose by 36% to over 370,000 and visitors from Ireland increased by 124%.* This rapid increase in tourist interest coupled with the rise in Bulgarian property prices means interest in second homes and holiday rentals looks set to grow well into the future. Tourists from across Europe are drawn to this increasingly prosperous democracy now a member of the European Union.

Little wonder when it offers a feast of outdoor activities such as skiing or hiking in Bulgaria's spectacular mountains or swimming, water-skiing and diving in the blue waters of the Black Sea Riviera.

(*Source: Bulgarian State Agency for Tourism 09.06).