The trend of demand for housing in big cities is growing. As an alternative to bank deposits, investing in property seems to be a more logical solution. Buyers who choose apartments for investment are choosing those which have the potential to be rented immediately and can bring good income. Quality properties with completed infrastructure that provide a comfortable living environment are sought. A solution to prepare the property to meet future tenants and to provide year-round occupancy of apartments is offered in Residential park Royal City. In the complex, Galaxy Investment Group allows for the purchase of fully furnished apartments with operating lease agreement. An excellent option for those who are looking for an option to restore its investment. The complex has five residential sections with spacious and comfortable apartments of different sizes, underground and surface parking and green areas are available. The buildings are built with modern and high quality materials, PVC multi chamber, excellent thermal and sound insulation. An additional advantage, which is offered by Royal City, it is the professional maintenance of common areas.

Royal Beach Mall is 95% occupied. 90 stores will be open in the 2016 summer season. This year the shopping center will become once again the most preferred and leading shopping destination on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. In 2016 the complex attracts new and popular brands such as Moncler, Original Marines, Junona Fashion, Armani Outlet,  Za-Za Underwear, Adelly Men’s Fashion. Royal Beach Mall annually attracts over 1,500,000 guests in Sunny Beach. There is an expected growth in the number of tourists this season, mainly from Russia, Germany, Great Britain and Poland. Royal Beach Mall is located in the heart of Sunny Beach, just 50 m from the beach. It is part of the luxury 5-star hotel Barceló Royal Beach. In the shopping center the visitors can find their favorite fashion and sports brands, cosmetics and health products, recreation places, SPA center, hospitable restaurants and bars where they can enjoy fresh drinks and delicious meals. For the children and the comfort of their parents Royal Beach Mall offers children’s entertainment area. The shopping center is owned and managed by Galaxy Investment Group. Each season the management of Royal Beach Mall attracts new leading brands. The trade mix in Royal Beach Mall is organized to meet the needs of the customers. Some of the brands that has stores in the shopping center are Bogner, U.S. Polo, O’Neill, Altinbas, Petek, Subra, Avenue Multi Brand Store, Exess, Juliany, Sara Pen, New Silhouette, Refan, Paula Venti and KFC. Complying with the dynamic development of the retail sector Royal Beach Mall offers to retailers flexible solutions and provides successful business environment.

The economic development of the city of Plovdiv and the opportunities for expansion of the outsourcing industry were discussed during a business meeting organized by the German - Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce/AHK/, hosted by Galaxy Investment Group. During the event many practical tips for successful outsourcing business in the region of Plovdiv were shared. The Plovdiv region is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing in Bulgaria and in just five years the companies working in the IT and outsourcing industry are already over 60, with over 5000 employees. According to the local administration, the city has the potential to double the growth of this industry. "Plovdiv has all the prerequisites to become a leading outsourcing destination. This is important for the long-term economic development of the city, "said Martin Dragoev, Director of Investments and Sales Department of Galaxy Investment Group. He presented the project Office Park Plovdiv, a first-class office building that meets the needs of companies in the sector who are already working in the city and those who are about to open offices. The development of the outsourcing and IT industries in recent years has enabled many young and talented people to get a good professional start, giving them a chance to work in an international environment and opportunities for rapid career development. The participants in the discussion Ivailo Savov, a member of the board of directors of the Bulgarian Outsourcing Association and manager of Bulpros AD, Philip Ugrinov, Vice President Sales, Marketing and Business Solutions at Telus International Europe, Dimitar Dimitrov, Partner at Novara Ltd and Radiana Radeva-Herold, Managing Director, m + v MediaNetworks LTD all share this opinion. Business representatives found that the city has need of well-trained IT staff. According to representatives of the business it is important to have a good partnership with local authorities. Moreover, it is also necessary to invest in education that prepares middle management staff by creating relevant subjects at universities to assist businesses.

Mr. Boyadzhiev, what will be the priorities of Galaxy Investment Group’s investment program? The company traditionally invests in projects with development potential, which bring a good return on investment. Our long experience in the acquisition, planning, construction, management, assets sale and lease in the commercial property market have made us a market leader, with key projects of our investment portfolio having competitive advantages that attract the interest of clients and investors. We are currently expanding our focus on various sectors of the economy, we are ready to invest and participate as a co-investor in projects with potential, together with local and foreign partners. What are the trends and projections for 2016 for the development of the property market? Where are the investors directed? The demand for quality office space, to meet the needs mostly of representatives of the IT and outsourcing industries, will persist. Bulgaria is a preferred location for new investments in these sectors, and this implies increased demand for offices of companies that are expanding their business or are starting it now. Increasingly, new offices are created outside Sofia, which creates a prerequisite for sustainable growth in the market for office space in major cities, especially in Plovdiv. Overall, I expect a significant strengthening in the sector this year. Investors are directed to buildings that have the potential for higher returns. These are already completed buildings or those that stand to be completed, with good location and long-term rental contracts. Increasingly common news is spreading about new industrial investors entering Bulgaria. What is your forecast of the market development of industrial areas? Industrial zones will be one of the hot topics in this market. The good news is that the manufactures built in them generate significant economic growth. So I think these companies should be encouraged. A more dynamic development in this segment will certainly be a sign of the improval of the overall business climate and the willingness of investors - Bulgarian and foreign, to develop and expand notably in Bulgaria. Development in the sector has made Plovdiv the industrial capital of Bulgaria. The key location attracts more companies, including major world producers from different sectors. This is due to the lower production costs and the developed infrastructure in the area. In 2016 Plovdiv will remain a preferred destination for investors. The authoritative newspaper "Financial Times" named Plovdiv the third best city for business investment in Europe for a reason. We believe that the investment in a new office building that our company launched last year, will invigorate the economy in Plovdiv, change the face of the city and help create many new jobs. With the project "Office Park Plovdiv" we are actually realizing the potential of our city as a developing business destination. Investment in commercial real estate is assessed as a low risk, but less liquid. What are other options for investors? It is a fact, that lately Bulgaria is perceived as a good place to invest in young companies. The development of startup culture, entry of major IT companies and the return of many young successful Bulgarians from abroad are factors that encourage investment funds to support various start-ups. There are already several examples of started small companies that sold quite successfully to large investors. My prediction is that the funds will continue to invest their money in high-tech projects because there is potential, besides, they have a high added value. Ultimately, high technology affects all sectors of the economy and is a key driver of growth. In order to develop this sector, however, a significant change in the education system is needed. The first steps are already being taken by individual companies that develop their schools for training of personnel. The state also demonstrates a willingness to change educational policies and has recently adopted the Concept to promote training of software professionals, which provides for the creation of prerequisites for further training for over 30,000 people over the next 15 years. Source: Ikonomika magazine

Growth of international tourists is expected in the Bulgarian resorts in summer season 2016. The leading Russian tour operators expect 20-30% increase of Russian tourists. For them Bulgaria is a preferred destination due to the quality of services, prices, climate and linguistic similarities. There is an expected growth of tourists from Germany, Great Britain and Poland. Tour operators like TUI UK and Thomas Cook reported for respectively 40% and 50% growth in bookings for Bulgarian resorts in the summer. Forecasts were made based on early bookings and scheduled flights to Varna and Burgas for season 2016. Most of the flights to Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia are being redirected to Spain, Greece, Bulgaria and Croatia. Foreign tourists find as core strengths of our Black sea coast the newly built hotels, tourist attractions and appealing entertainment venues. For years, Galaxy Investment Group’s holiday complexes and hotels have been an example of an attractive product with uncompromising quality, turning them into preferred tourist choice for Bulgarian and international tourists. The five-star hotel Barceló Royal Beach, the luxurious four-star Majestic Beach Resort and Royal Sun, part of Galaxy Investment Group’s portfolio indicate full occupancy not only in the high season. Compared to last year's data there is an increase in the early bookings. The biggest growth is reported by tourists from the UK, as bookings from this market in some of the sites increased with 68% in comparison to the last year. Tourists from Belgium and the Netherlands have a 20% increase, while the increase of tourists from Romania is expected to be 10%. According to last year’s data, our country was visited by more than 7 million tourists from abroad and about 21 million nights were achieved.

Encho Keryazov and Jordan Jovtchev staged a spectacular show for the audience of thousands in "Night of the Stars", which was held on February 24, 2016, in "Arena Armeets" - Sofia. The Foundation "Encho Keryazov" presented at the event its fifth annual Awards to distinguished Bulgarians in the "Education", "Art" and "Sport" categories. For the first time underprivileged children were honored. Stefka Kostadinova awarded those with potential in sports, and wished them good health, luck and new victories. Viewers were able to see exclusive sports and circus performances in the impressive and glamorous spectacle inspired by the friendship between Encho Keryazov and Jordan Jovtchev. The show lasted three hours, and viewers in "Arena Armeets" rose in applause. World champion wrestler Stanka Zlateva, swimmer Petar Stoychev and champions from the ensemble in rhythmic gymnastics also took to the stage. Levon Manukyan, Petar Shopov, Yuri Kekilli, Hristo Mutafchiev, Dmitry Grigorov with his act  "Flight of passion", the stars of sports Alexei Nemov - gymnastics, as well as stars of the circus Martin Szilagyi with "Cyr wheel” and brothers Kovachevi with "Wheel of death" took part in the program of the show. Dimitar Rachkov and Vasil Vasilev – Zueka were moderators. The highlight of the evening was the performance on still rings by the Olympic medalist and world champion Jordan Jovtchev, who performed to the accompaniment of violinist Vasko Vassilev. The grand finale of the show came with the performance of Encho Kiryazov.