Eight concession procedures for sea beaches are underway

Council of Ministers (CoM) passed a decision to open concession procedures for sea beaches. These include: Dyuni – Yug, Sozopol Municipality; Bourgas-Sever, Bourgas Municipality; Obzor – Yug, Nessebar Municipality; Pomorie-Centralen, Pomorie Municipality; Camping Oasis, Tsarevo Municipality; Camping Nestinarka, Tsarevo Municipality; Nov Plaj Sveti Vlas and Sveti Vlas - Iztok, Nessebar Municipality.

The procedures were prepared in accordance with the amendments to the Methodology for Determining the Concession Payment’s Minimum Amount and the Minimum Criteria for Evaluation of the Bids in the Competition to Select a Sea Beach Concessionaire. The amendments are expected to result in a lowering of the beach accessories prices at those beaches during the following summer season. The eight sea beaches will be let under concession for a period of 20 years, with the prices of umbrellas and deck chairs not changeable during the concession’s period.

A quick reminder that at the start of this year sea beaches passed over to the management of the Ministry of Tourism. Prior to commencement of the active summer season a number of procedures to let beach strips were held. Owing to this, much higher revenue levels were reported for 2016 from the sea beaches lease contracts. In 2016 they exceeded by BGN 1,6 mil. the 2015 revenues, with their overall amount being over BGN 5 mil. Over BGN 3.8 mil. have also been already collected from beach concessions. A second payment under those contracts is forthcoming in November, with the total amount of proceeds expected to exceed BGN 11 mil.

Control was the major priority during Summer‘2016, with a special hotline and e-mail having been set up for people to report any irregularities at the beaches, which a mobile control group was at the Black Sea coast throughout the summer season. As a result, over 300 signals were received and over 450 on-site inspections were performed. Over BGN 240 000 in penalties were imposed, with new sanction notification letters being sent even now.