The Balkans, Yes, The Balkans, Lead Europe’s New Tourism Push
Photo Credit: Bulgaria has been experiencing a tourism boom in the last decade. Pictured is Sofia, Bulgaria. Flickr / Deensel
Skift Take
Long overshadowed by "Old Europe" for tourism, the Balkans are emerging as the center of "New Europe." But you better book now since the travelers' secret is out.
Fifteen years ago, freshly out of cubicle culture, I made the bold decision to start a travel blog. I felt travel was on the verge of a transformation and wanted a URL to reflect the changing times. But I soon found my first choice — newtravel.com – was already taken.
By some travel agency in Bulgaria.
Those days before Twitter and Facebook feel as ancient as the Dewey Decimal System now, but I’m fascinated that Bulgaria stumbled onto that phrase first. And shortly after missing on newtravel, I began covering Bulgaria for Lonely Planet. Its 19th-century revivalist architecture, cheap local wines sold from empty jugs on street corners, and quiet roads crisscrossing mountains immediately wooed me. (The ketchup-on-pizza thing was less convincing.) Eventually I even ventured into the energetic newtravel.com office, aka Odysseia-In, which has since changed its site to hiking-bulgaria.com.
Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007, is never going to rank with France or China or th
