She specified that the figures were not final because the season had only just begun and the findings did not include the bookings of all companies in the sector.
Despite that, Racheva explained that there was a pronounced downward trend.
She suggested that January and February would help to partially offset the substantial end-2010 drop because many tourists would wait for the "festive" prices to drop to their normal rates to go on a skiing holiday.
The expert said that winter resorts like Pamporovo, Borovets and Bansko still had unbooked hotel capacity despite the increased demand caused by the snowfall.
Racheva added that package holidays organized by tour operators should be cheaper than individual travels but did not exclude the option of last-minute extra discounts at the hotel receptions during the peak winter season.
Bulgarian Tour Operators See 40% Drop in New Year Bookings
