{"id":41055,"date":"2026-02-08T16:25:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T14:25:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vbansko.com\/?p=41055"},"modified":"2026-02-11T20:15:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T18:15:23","slug":"ski-tourism-bansko-development-sabotage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vbansko.com\/en\/ski-tourism-bansko-development-sabotage\/","title":{"rendered":"Ski Tourism in Bansko 2026: Between Development and Sabotage (Viewpoint and Discussion)"},"content":{"rendered":"<article style=\"max-width: 850px;margin: 0 auto;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;line-height: 1.8;color: #333;font-size: 18px\">Bansko has long since transcended the scale of a mere winter resort. The town has become an emblem of winter sports in the Balkans, but behind the shiny facade and full hotels, a decades-old conflict simmers. In our column <strong>\u201e&quot;Straightforwardly&quot;\u201c<\/strong> Today we examine the sharp position of Metodi Mitev - Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association &quot;Center for Green Growth&quot;, and compare his words with the real voice of the community. The topic of <strong>ski tourism in <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/vbansko.com\/en\/for-bansko\/\" title=\"Bansko\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"4136\">Bansko<\/a><\/strong>, the lack of a second gondola lift and overdevelopment are back on the agenda, and opinions are more polarized than ever.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f0f9ff;padding: 25px;border-radius: 8px;margin: 30px 0;border-left: 5px solid #3498db\">\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 0;color: #1a1a1a\">\ud83d\udccc Highlights of the analysis:<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom: 0;padding-left: 20px;color: #1a1a1a\">\n<li>Why is the infrastructure lagging behind the bed capacity?<\/li>\n<li>Is there an organized &quot;green racket&quot; against development?<\/li>\n<li>What do tourists think: New lift or new slopes?<\/li>\n<li>The comparison with the Alps \u2013 myth or reality?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2 style=\"color: #2c3e50;border-bottom: 2px solid #e67e22;padding-bottom: 10px\">Metodi Mitev: Development is being hindered by organized pressure<\/h2>\n<p>According to Metodi Mitev, Bansko&#039;s problem is not a lack of investment intentions or vision, but systemic sabotage. In his position, he points out that the development of the city is hostage to groups that present themselves as nature defenders.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201e&quot;Bansko has long been more than just a resort - it is a symbol of modern winter tourism in Bulgaria. And yet, its development is systematically hindered - not by a lack of vision or investment, but by organized pressure presented as a &quot;green cause.&quot;\u201e<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3 style=\"color: #2980b9\">Infrastructure deficit or poor planning?<\/h3>\n<p>Anyone who has visited Bansko during the peak season (January-February) knows the picture: queues that start right from the parking lot. Mitev is categorical \u2013 the only gondola lift is extremely insufficient. While competing resorts in Austria, Italy and France are solving this problem with large-scale investments, in Bulgaria the project for a second gondola is \u201con the rocks\u201d.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #fdf2f2;padding: 25px;border-radius: 8px;margin: 30px 0;border-left: 5px solid #e74c3c\">\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 0;color: #c0392b\">\u26a0\ufe0f The \u201cGreen Racketeering\u201d Thesis\u201d<\/h3>\n<p style=\"color: #1a1a1a\">Mitev coined the term \u201egreen racketeering\u201c \u2013 a practice in which, under the guise of ecology, projects are blocked through complaints and legal procedures until investors give up or \u201eagree.\u201c According to him, these organizations are not responsible for the economic damage and depopulation of mountain regions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 style=\"color: #2c3e50;border-bottom: 2px solid #e67e22;padding-bottom: 10px\">The Voice of the People: What does the community think?<\/h2>\n<p>The publication caused an avalanche of comments on social networks. Analysis of the discussion shows that the problem is much deeper than the lack of a single cable car. Users are divided into several camps, each with its own valid arguments.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"color: #2980b9\">1. The Math Doesn&#039;t Work Out: Beds vs. Runways<\/h3>\n<p>One of the strongest counterarguments comes from the consumer <strong>Dimiter Popov<\/strong>, which draws attention to the disproportion between bed capacity and ski area capacity:<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201e&quot;The capacity of the slopes for normal skiing is no more than 8-9 thousand skiers, and the bed capacity in the area is nearly 100 thousand beds. Where will these people ski? Or will we open new slopes in the national park?&quot;\u201c<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This raises the question: Even if we get people up quickly with a new lift, is there room for them on the slopes without creating a risk of accidents?<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"color: #2980b9\">2. Technological solution instead of new construction?<\/h3>\n<p>Expert opinions are also included in the discussion. <strong>Alexandrov Vasil<\/strong> offers an interesting alternative \u2013 modernization of the existing line instead of building a brand new clearing in the forest.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%;border-collapse: collapse;margin: 20px 0;font-size: 16px\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #ecf0f1\">\n<th style=\"border: 1px solid #bdc3c7;padding: 12px;text-align: left\">Characteristics<\/th>\n<th style=\"border: 1px solid #bdc3c7;padding: 12px;text-align: left\">Current gondola (8-seater)<\/th>\n<th style=\"border: 1px solid #bdc3c7;padding: 12px;text-align: left\">Modern gondola (10-seater)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #bdc3c7;padding: 12px\">Capacity<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #bdc3c7;padding: 12px\">2,000 people\/hour<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #bdc3c7;padding: 12px\">3,000 \u2013 4,500 people\/hour<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #bdc3c7;padding: 12px\">Speed<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #bdc3c7;padding: 12px\">5.0 m\/sec<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #bdc3c7;padding: 12px\">6.0 \u2013 7.0 m\/sec<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3 style=\"color: #2980b9\">3. The Verbier example and the management problem<\/h3>\n<p>Many commentators draw a parallel with the Alps. <strong>Martin Gugin<\/strong> notes that the infrastructure in resorts like Verbier (Switzerland) is similar, but the management is different. The lack of &quot;VIP corridors&quot; that annoy the average tourist, and the better organization of the flow of people, make the experience there better.<\/p>\n<div style=\"border: 2px dashed #bdc3c7;padding: 20px;border-radius: 8px;margin: 40px 0;background-color: #fafafa;text-align: center\">\n<h4 style=\"margin-top: 0;color: #7f8c8d;text-transform: uppercase;font-size: 14px;letter-spacing: 1px\">Topic source<\/h4>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic;margin-bottom: 20px\">This heated discussion is taking place on the Facebook page <a class=\"x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x1ejq31n x18oe1m7 x1sy0etr xstzfhl x972fbf x10w94by x1qhh985 x14e42zd x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 x3ct3a4 xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak xexx8yu xyri2b x18d9i69 x1c1uobl x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xkrqix3 x1sur9pj xzsf02u x1s688f\" role=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=100064403870792&amp;__cft__[0]=AZbltWAj8uW8ndtWUyhA4K4DYjVsm-FtCBApSTYjcvRMkgrytNYllTeHIWLCP8a7YLhdo5m41FaI-1VzKfWkivkfzKlP_YXLk7J6TI3t_8XnB-MlMCr0mFLLjyZcbawUWtvZW0MHf0vbuQOzgYq-kcS9hx6m0TrxW2TvR4QaHJ22PA&amp;__tn__=-UC%2CP-R\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b class=\"html-b xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak xexx8yu xyri2b x18d9i69 x1c1uobl x1hl2dhg x16tdsg8 x1vvkbs x1s688f\"><span class=\"html-span xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak xexx8yu xyri2b x18d9i69 x1c1uobl x1hl2dhg x16tdsg8 x1vvkbs\">Bansko\/Bansko Official<\/span><\/b><\/a>. Metodi Mitev&#039;s original post sparked hundreds of reactions and comments.<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"color: #ffffff !important;text-decoration: none;padding: 10px 25px;background: #3b5998;border-radius: 5px;font-weight: bold\" href=\"\/en\/YOUR_LINK_HERE\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\nSee the entire discussion on Facebook \u279c<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 style=\"color: #2c3e50;border-bottom: 2px solid #e67e22;padding-bottom: 10px\">What&#039;s next for Bansko?<\/h2>\n<p>The debate \u201cFor\u201d and \u201cAgainst\u201d the development of <strong>ski tourism in Bansko<\/strong> It won&#039;t end soon. On one side is the economic logic - tourism feeds the region, keeps young people and requires modern services. On the other side are the mistakes of growth - overbuilding in the lower part of the city, which has created an imbalance that the mountain can hardly absorb.<\/p>\n<\/article>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u0411\u0430\u043d\u0441\u043a\u043e \u043e\u0442\u0434\u0430\u0432\u043d\u0430 \u043d\u0430\u0434\u0445\u0432\u044a\u0440\u043b\u0438 \u043c\u0430\u0449\u0430\u0431\u0438\u0442\u0435 \u043d\u0430 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e \u0437\u0438\u043c\u0435\u043d \u043a\u0443\u0440\u043e\u0440\u0442. \u0413\u0440\u0430\u0434\u044a\u0442 \u0441\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0432\u044a\u0440\u043d\u0430 \u0432 \u0435\u043c\u0431\u043b\u0435\u043c\u0430 \u043d\u0430 \u0437\u0438\u043c\u043d\u0438\u0442\u0435 \u0441\u043f\u043e\u0440\u0442\u043e\u0432\u0435 \u043d\u0430 \u0411\u0430\u043b\u043a\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0442\u0435, \u043d\u043e \u0437\u0430\u0434 \u043b\u044a\u0441\u043a\u0430\u0432\u0430\u0442\u0430 \u0444\u0430\u0441\u0430\u0434\u0430 \u0438 \u043f\u044a\u043b\u043d\u0438\u0442\u0435 \u0445\u043e\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0438 \u0442\u043b\u0435\u0435 \u0434\u0435\u0441\u0435\u0442\u0438\u043b\u0435\u0442\u0435\u043d \u043a\u043e\u043d\u0444\u043b\u0438\u043a\u0442. \u0412 \u0440\u0443\u0431\u0440\u0438\u043a\u0430\u0442\u0430 [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":41056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11763],"tags":[11555,9581,11765,11766,7979,11767,11768,1853,11764,1596],"class_list":["post-41055","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kakvo-valnuva-obshnostta","tag-yearly-update","tag-bansko-novini","tag-vtori-kabinkov-lift","tag-ekologiya-i-stroitelstvo","tag-infrastruktura-bansko","tag-metodi-mitev","tag-opashki-na-lifta","tag-ski-zona-bansko","tag-ski-turizam-v-bansko","tag-yulen"],"cubewp_post_meta":[],"taxonomies":["\u041a\u0430\u043a\u0432\u043e \u0432\u044a\u043b\u043d\u0443\u0432\u0430 \u043e\u0431\u0449\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0442\u0430","Yearly-Update","\u0411\u0430\u043d\u0441\u043a\u043e \u043d\u043e\u0432\u0438\u043d\u0438","\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0438 \u043a\u0430\u0431\u0438\u043d\u043a\u043e\u0432 \u043b\u0438\u0444\u0442","\u0435\u043a\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0433\u0438\u044f \u0438 \u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e","\u0438\u043d\u0444\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0443\u043a\u0442\u0443\u0440\u0430 \u0411\u0430\u043d\u0441\u043a\u043e","\u041c\u0435\u0442\u043e\u0434\u0438 \u041c\u0438\u0442\u0435\u0432","\u043e\u043f\u0430\u0448\u043a\u0438 \u043d\u0430 \u043b\u0438\u0444\u0442\u0430","\u0441\u043a\u0438 \u0437\u043e\u043d\u0430 \u0411\u0430\u043d\u0441\u043a\u043e","\u0441\u043a\u0438 \u0442\u0443\u0440\u0438\u0437\u044a\u043c \u0432 \u0411\u0430\u043d\u0441\u043a\u043e","\u042e\u043b\u0435\u043d"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vbansko.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41055","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vbansko.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vbansko.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vbansko.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vbansko.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41055"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vbansko.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41055\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41522,"href":"https:\/\/vbansko.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41055\/revisions\/41522"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vbansko.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vbansko.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vbansko.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41055"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vbansko.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}