Bulgarian association says new stores unlikely

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Operators had hoped new stores could be opened to capitalise on increased summer traffic from the Athens Olympic Games

The Bulgarian Duty Free Association has said it is unlikely to be successful in its bid to open new border stores to capitalise on anticipated traffic growth during the Olympic Games in Athens this summer. The association applied for permits from the government earlier this year but is yet to receive authorisation.

?We have not heard from the [Finance] Ministry and there is no time to implement the regulations that would allow the creation of these shops,? said Bulgarian Duty Free Association chairman Radostin Genov.

Reports indicate that the number of tourists in Bulgaria will increase by up to 20% during the Games. ?There are three main areas where we would like to open new shops,? said Genov. ?The first is a small town called Petrich in the south-west between Greece and Bulgaria; the second is the border between Romania and Bulgaria; and the third region is the border with Serbia.?

Genov said if the shops were permitted they would become a permanent fixture after the games.