Emerging
Markets
TTG Central and Eastern Europe supplement
Prague and Budapest are now standard weekend hops on no-frills
airlines but there are plenty of places in central and eastern
Europe that are still in the first flushes of youth as far as
the British holiday market is concerned. Some spent years behind
the iron curtain and relative inaccessibility continues to keep
them off the beaten track, while the former Yugoslavia, a summer
sun mainstay before the Balkans war in the 90s, is just being
rediscovered by a new generation.
Romania
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Open since:
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Emerged from Communist dictatorship in 1990,
joined the EU this January.
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Who goes? |
Balkan Holidays, Fregata Travel, Regent Holidays, Romania
Travel Centre, Sunvil, several ski operators, BA, Tarom,
Wizz Air.
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Main appeal: |
Transylvania's scenery, medieval towns and Dracula connection. |
"Romania has friendly people, diverse culture and absolutely
stunning countryside" says Fregata Travel manager Tim Campbell.
"They say Sighisoara is the birthplace of Dracula and it
certainly looks like it should be. You walk up through this
archway to the citadel and it all looks rather Gothic."
Scenic Transylvania, intersected by the Carpathian Mountains,
is the main draw in Romania but it's a big region. With the
key sights quite far apart, escorted tours are a popular option.
As well as medieval Sighisoara and Brasov these would usually
take in the Unesco world heritage listed painted monasteries
at Bucovina.
"Generally people who go to Romania are
45 to 65. They tend to be pretty well travelled and have seen
a lot of Eastern Europe," says Campbell. We get the Dracula
groupies as well who have read Bram Stoker. Quite often you
get a mum or dad taking a teenager out as they've got into the
book."
The Dracula legend is said to be based on the unsavoury activities
of Vlad the Impaler. Main sights include the so-called 'Dracula's
castle' at Bran, Vlad's birthplace of Sighisoara, and Bistrita,
where the hero of the book dines on his first night in Transylvania.
Campbell adds: "Borgo Pass also appears in Dracula, It's rather
dramatic and rocky and you can hear the wolves howling."
And also...Cheap skiing for beginners and intermediates
at Piona Brasov; fly drive tours, new from Sunvil; Ceausescu's
enormous palace in Bucharest; Danube cruises.
Sample
package:
Fregata offers a four night 'In Search of Dracula' escorted
tour including Sinaia, Bran, Brasov, Sighisoara and Borgo Pass.
The price of £759, valid May to October, includes flights,
half board in three and four star accommodation, transfers and
sightseeing with a tour guide.
0207 420 7305
www.fregatatravel.co.uk
Bulgaria
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Open since:
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The former Soviet satellite became a parliamentary
republic in 1991 and EU member this January.
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Who goes? |
Balkan, Cosmos Tourama, Fregata, Regent, mainstream
summer sun and winter ski operators, BA, Bulgaria Air,
First Choice Airways, Hemus Air.
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Main appeal: |
Good value summer sun and winter ski. |
Bulgaria has seemingly burst out of nowhere to rival Spain as
a mainstay in mass market operators' summer sun brochures. In
the last few years families have been won over by the combination
of renewed accommodation, low prices and sandy beaches on its
230 miles of Black Sea coast.
Bulgaria joined the EU this year, along with Romania, but a
beer will still only set you back about 50p and a bottle of
the country's well respected wine £3.50.
Balkan Holidays sales and marketing manager Chris Rand says:
"It really is still good value, both our prices and while you
are there. The quality of the hotels is good as well, compared
to everywhere really."
Bulgaria's mountain resorts too have evolved from a fairly obscure
budget option to a staple of ski operators' programmes.
"We carry over 20,000 passengers now to Bulgaria for skiing,"
says Rand. "If people are looking for good value, it's particularly
good for beginner skiers and intermediates."
Balkans also offers summer holidays combining a week in the
mountains - for walking, biking and hotel based spa treatments
- with a week on the beach.
And also... The historic cities of Sofia, Varna and Plovdiv;
Unesco listed Nessebar; Rila national park and the vineyards
at Melnik; side trips to Istanbul; property hunting trips.
Sample package:
A week's holiday for two adults and a child staying in a family
room at the four star Hotel Globus, Sunny Beach on a half board
basis, July 13 to 20 with flights from Manchester costs £1,320
with Balkan Holidays.
0845 130 1114 www.balkanholidays.co.uk
Bosnia-Herzegovina
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Open since:
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Regained tourism after the end of the Balkans
war. Recently boosted by new direct BA flights.
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Who goes? |
Bond Tours, Regent, BA.
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Main appeal: |
Post war rediscovery of Sarajevo and Mostar, unspoilt
countryside. |
Sarajevo has recently gained BA flights, making short breaks
to the Bosnian capital possible.
The city has a heavy Turkish influence with mosques and bazaars.
For more recent history, the Tunnel Museum shows how the city
survived a four year siege by Serb forces.
The ancient city of Mostar was mostly destroyed in the Balkans
war but much, including its famous bridge, has been rebuilt
as it was.
"Mostar is a bit different from Sarajevo
in that it gets absolutely inundated in the summer months by
day-trippers from Croatia," says Manuela De Fazio, tours manager
for Regent Holidays. "It's nice to stay there overnight, when
it's very peaceful and beautiful."
She recommends visitors to Bosnia also take in one of the countryside
villages, little changed for centuries, where you can have lunch
with a local family.
"It is very unspoilt, certainly,
tourism-wise, the main attraction apart from history and culture
is nature and the unspoilt landscape."
And also... activities such as hiking, canoeing and rafting;
the historic city of Travnik and waterfall at mountain town
Jajce; combining Sarajevo with Split, Dubrovnik, Belgrade or
Tirana using open jaw flights.
Sample package:
Regent Holidays' Bosnia Express Explorer five day guided tour
takes in Sarajevo and Mostar with a choice of excursions. Priced
from £699 it includes BA flights from Gatwick, three star
accommodation, breakfasts and one lunch, private car transfers,
excursions and private guide.
0870 499 0911 www.regent-holidays.co.uk
Montenegro
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Open since:
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Regained tourism after the end of the Balkans
war. Recently boosted by use as a film location for Casino
Royale.
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Who goes? |
Balkan, Holiday Options, Regent.
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Main appeal: |
Unspoilt sandy beaches and glacial scenery. |
Montenegro not only has stunning pine forest and mountain scenery
but, unlike its more accessible neighbour Croatia, its beaches
are sandy.
Jonathan Oakes, chairman of Holiday Options, says: "It's becoming
so difficult to find places in the Mediterranean that haven't
been subject to mass tourism. Montenegro is largely undeveloped.
What singles it out is that it has lovely beaches."
Balkan's Chris Rand says the republic's resorts are particularly
suited to couples as they are short on family facilities. The
destination also lacks direct UK flights.
Montenegro's scenery had a starring role in recent James Bond
film Casino Royale. A lesser heard boast is that the destination
is home to the second largest Fjord in Europe.
"It's
like a tiny piece of Norway in the Med," says Oakes. He recommends
clients combine a stay on the coast with a few days at Kotor
Fjord.
And also... inland glacial lakes; day trips to Dubrovnik;
property hunting trips.
Sample package:
Holiday Options has seven nights B&B at the three star Hotel
Casa Negro in Przno, Sveti Stefan from £485 per person
including return flights from Gatwick to Dubrovnik and transfers.
The price is valid from August 26 to September 29 and based
on two sharing.
0870 420 8372 www.holidayoptions.co.uk
Macedonia
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Open since:
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Regained tourism after the end of the Balkans
war.
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Who goes? |
Regent.
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Main appeal: |
Lake Ohrid and Skopje. |
Macedonia shares its main tourist attraction, Lake Ohrid, with
Albania. Popular with holidaymakers from nearby countries and
Germany, the lake and surrounding national park are starting
to be discovered by British tourists.
Regent offers a national parks and monasteries itinerary in
Macedonia. Manuela De Fazio says most clients combine Lake Ohrid
with two of three days in capital Skopje. "It's got shops and
a mix of western and eastern features like mosques with beautiful
ceramic tiles, bazaars and hammans - like Sarajevo," she says.
And also...Wine tasting; twin centres possible with Albania,
Serbia, Greece or Croatia.
Sample package:
Regent Holidays offers three nights in Skopje with four in Lake
Ohrid staying in four star hotels on a twin share bed and breakfast
basis for £690 per person including flights via Prague
and private car transfers.
0870 499 0911 www.regent-holidays.co.uk
Serbia
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Open since:
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Regained tourism after the end of the Balkans
war.
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Who goes? |
Balkan, Regent, BA, Jat Airways.
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Main appeal: |
Skiing, city breaks to Belgrade. |
Serbia is much lesser known for skiing than Bulgaria but also
offers beginner and intermediate standard runs and good prices.
The 1770 metre high resort of Kopaonik has 44km of marked pistes
and 20km of cross country trails.
Balkan offers the country purely for skiing. Chris Rand says:
"It has got people who are loyal to it from years ago, before
the war. It is something different than France and Austria and
it is very good value for money." He adds: "The accommodation
is perfectly OK but it doesn't have the new hotels that Bulgaria
has."
Regent offers short breaks to the capital, Belgrade. The city
was bombed by Nato during the Balkans conflict and ruined buildings
still stand but it also retains old Turkish, Austro-Hungarian
and Slavic architecture and has a remarkably lively nightlife.
And also... Museums and galleries in the city of Novi Sad
on the banks of the Danube; national parks and mountain villages.
Sample package:
Balkan Holidays offers seven nights, half board at the four
star Hotel Club A in Kopaonik for £524 per person departing
January 5. A week's lift pass is £56, a learn to ski package
with lift pass, boot hire and ski school is £153.
0845 130 1114 www.balkanholidays.co.uk
Albania
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Open since:
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Communist rule ended in 1992. BA direct
flights began a couple of years ago.
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Who goes? |
Regent, Sunvil, BA.
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Main appeal: |
ex communist mystery, scenery and ancient remains. |
Albania emerged, in the early 1990s, from 50 years of communist
dictatorship. A poor country, with its main tourist access via
Corfu, it has yet to find its way into the holiday mainstream.
Neil Taylor, guidebook writer and a former director of Regent
Holidays, says: "Albania's appeal, I think, is still that it
was cut off for so long. Certainly for older people it was cut
off and mysterious.
"You can still see communist era
bunkers. They were expecting attack from outside. Some people
have managed to grow mushrooms in them or convert them into
stores."
Albania's natural attractions include mountain scenery and a
dramatic undeveloped coastline, though this is not yet suitable
for beach holidays.
Albania has a number of Roman and Greek remains, notably at
Apollonia and Butrint and several points of interest can be
taken in on day trips from the capital, Tirana.
Both Regent and Sunvil offer group or independent tours.
And also.... Day trips to Albania can be made from Corfu.
(buy a visa on arrival); can be twinned with Montenegro, Macedonia
or Croatia.
Sample package:
Sunvil Holidays has an eight day Discover Southern Albania suggested
itinerary which includes Saranda, Gjirokastra, Beret, Tirana,
Krija, Apollonia and Butrint. It costs from £1,115 per
person in high season based on a party of two. Included are
flights to Corfu, ferry transfers, internal transfers, guided
tours, accommodation with breakfast plus most lunches.
020 8568 4499 www.sunvil.co.uk
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