Galaxy Investment Group participated in the largest real estate conference in Bulgaria for another year. The event took place on 3.11.2022. in the Sofia Event Center and brought together leading investors, financial institutions, consultants and experts in the sector. In this year's edition, the main market segments in the sector were discussed: office, retail, housing, industry and hotels.  Konstantin Boyadzhiev, CEO of Galaxy Investment Group, participated in the discussion panel on the topic "Investment environment - Bulgaria 2022: prospects for the development of new projects in the real estate sector, capital markets, liquidity, risks and opportunities in the context of sustainable development", where the challenges and prospects facing the companies in the coming year were commented on. Among the leading topics in the discussion were investments in real estate and their attractiveness in view of the change in the monetary environment, the changes of the banking sector and its influence in securing investments for new projects, as well as the factors that shape the current market situation at the end of 2022. "Currently, many companies are in 'waiting' mode and strategic planning of future investment projects, depending on the segment in which they are investing. Thanks to the diversified portfolio of Galaxy Investment Group, the company can afford to spread the risk, which will allow for expansion with moderate risk investments. There are projects that cannot stop their development. Such are the hotel renovations related to the latest trends for modern amenities and energy efficiency. Currently, the reconstruction of one of our hotel assets – Hilton Sofia, is underway and continues according to plan. We are an investors who develops projects in various segments – hotel, residential, office, industrial and retail. In our portfolio there are assets with undeniable advantages such as a key location, good infrastructure, leisure spaces, comfortable interior architecture and amenities, which can be successfully implemented even now, as there is a lot of interest from waiting clients for this type of investment. The requirements for the projects are already much greater, and despite the diverse supply on the market and its slight cooling, it can be expected that the demand will continue, but will be redirected to higher quality projects," commented Konstantin Boyadzhiev during the discussion.  According to him, the planning of new investments with a long implementation process is difficult to predict, because despite the stabilizing prices of construction materials, an increase in the price of labor is noted. Konstantin Boyadzhiev confirmed that the company's city hotels, including Hilton Sofia and InterContinental Sofia, have successfully returned to normal levels of operation. Currently, the challenges in the sector are related to finding a qualified workforce. Zhivko Ivanov, Asset Management Director at Galaxy Investment Group, took part in the discussion during the second panel of the forum, where he commented on the Hotel Industry in the context of the recovery of market activity. Operating costs, inflation, the labor market, process optimization and competitiveness were just some of the topics covered during the forum. "2022 is an extremely turbulent year for the hotel market - the first quarter was marked by Covid, with the recovery only starting in mid-March and moving at a different pace in individual segments and markets. Business in Sofia returns relatively quickly to a good pace of events, mainly for the domestic market, business guests and vacationers from European markets. At the moment, Sofia is about 74% from 2019. We are actively working to attract the market for more international events, opening new transport links, improving the product and increasing prices. I am happy to say that despite the impact of Covid, the company's hotels managed to keep the most important thing - the core of professional staff, which is the basis for the rapid recovery of our sites and for the non-stop list of new achievements - such as the InterContinental Sofia this year received 4 new awards, with which he is already the winner of 23 first places in various international categories in just 4 years. ", commented Zivko Ivanov.

The luxurious Hexaya Health & Wellness Centre at the InterContinental Sofia has been awarded the prestigious BigSee Tourism Design Award 2022. The award is given for design excellence in South East Europe and all 21 countries in the region participated in this year's competition. In this year's edition, the exclusive health and wellness centre - designed by leading Italian architecture studio Silvia Giannini architetto - was nominated in 2 categories - Tourism Design and Best Project in the Architecture and Design Grand Prix category. An international jury of 12 leading European designers gave first place to Hexaya Health & Wellness. The five-star InterContinental Sofia, which is owned by Galaxy Investment Group, is located in the very heart of the capital and impresses local and international visitors with its elegant interiors, breathtaking views and unparalleled dining experiences and the only health and wellness centre of its kind in the country, Hexaya Health & Wellness. It is a state-of-the-art business wellness centre with a gym, wet area, 5 treatment rooms, 3 massage rooms, relaxation area, sauna, steam room and emotional shower. "The award for Hexaya Health & Wellness is yet another recognition of the highest quality of services that the InterContinental Sofia team offers to its clients in Bulgaria," said InterContinental Sofia General Manager Angelo Zuccala. "Following the brand's international etiquette, we offer genuine hospitality to every guest, going beyond the five-star service standard and adding a personal touch at every moment. To be among the best, more than 20 times in 4 years, is the pinnacle of achievement in the luxury hospitality industry and an exceptional honour for us," he added.

InterContinental Sofia has added another prize to its extensive collection of international awards. The award comes from World Travel Awards, the world's most prestigious hotel product evaluation ranking, which ranks the best hotels in Europe for 2022. The five-star hotel, owned by Galaxy Investment Group, was named  "Bulgaria's Leading Hotel 2022" for fourth year in a row. "This award is yet another recognition of the high professionalism of the entire team at InterContinental Sofia, which in just four years since its opening can already boast as many as 21 international awards," said the hotel's General Manager Angelo Zuccala. The expectations are that this year the hotel will maintain its leading position in the five-star segment in the country and the region, and that InterContinental Sofia will continue to contribute to establishing the city as a desirable tourist destination. The World Travel Awards are held annually, with winners selected based on online public voting at global, regional and national levels. They were established in 1993 to recognise, reward and celebrate excellence in all sectors of the tourism and hospitality industry. This year, InterContinental Sofia is about to receive the "Green Key" standard of excellence for environmentally responsible business. This prestigious "eco-label" recognises excellence in environmental responsibility and sustainable operation in the tourism industry. Following its responsible business philosophy, the hotel works to reduce environmental damage and promote sustainable development. The five-star InterContinental Sofia offers an unparalleled experience and breathtaking views of  "St. Alexander Nevsky“ Square and Vitosha. InterContinental Sofia has been awarded the Leading Hotel in Bulgaria and Luxury Business Hotel of Eastern Europe for 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Leading hoteliers from all over the world meet in the Greek capital of Athens, where one of the most authoritative events in the field of tourism is held IDEEA - a forum for Central and Eastern Europe, which is part of Bench events - organizer of the largest professional events in the hotel industry in Europe. "Since March, there has been a rapid recovery in urban tourism, led by the return of business travel and individual leisure travel, followed by the holding of events, most of which have been postponed for the past 2 years. However, at the Balkans level we are still around 20% below the employment levels of 2019. The big ones missing are group accommodation and Asian markets. We hope for their gradual recovery in the next 2-3 years. This was stated by Zhivko Ivanov from "Galaxy Investment Group" in the "Future of Urban Tourism" panel, which is part of the IDEEA program. Ivanov noted that in an urban environment, budget hotels did best during the Covid crisis. Dr. Ilin Dimitrov: When we talk about brand Bulgaria, rethinking tourism, we must also rethink our behavior towards it "Currently, after the opening of international markets, we are seeing the fastest recovery in the high-end segment of city hotels, followed by budget hotels and lastly the traditional four-star segment," he added. Zhivko Ivanov pointed out that the tourism industry will gradually recover. The risks it faces are: government regulations on the airline industry, Covid policies in Asian markets, recovery of business travel. "I believe that travel is already part of people's necessary living minimum. An essential part is that the Balkans have a huge potential to be in Europe and at the same time to be unknown to the European markets. This gives us the opportunity to attract city tourists who want to discover new destinations with close flights within the EU," said Ivanov. Regarding the events, he added that the new business models of remote work and the refusal of employees to return to the offices create a niche to attract IT companies that need to create team spirit, which is no longer happening in the office, but in hotels , in halls - through team activities, games, corporate concerts and many other team building activities. Source: BgTourism

Office Park Plovdiv received a GOLD LEED certificate (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for sustainable construction. The office building is the first in Plovdiv with such certificate. LEED certification demonstrates leadership in transforming the building industry, commitment to building a healthy and sustainable future, and efficient use of energy resources.  The certification takes into account every detail related to the construction and operation of the building - from design and planning, operation and maintenance, occupancy, retrofit and reconstruction. Buildings that are awarded the certificate are characterized by energy efficiency, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved air quality and the use of materials in construction that are environmentally friendly. Thanks to the systems and technologies used in Office Park Plovdiv the surrounding infrastructure is preserved and healthier, providing more productive and safer environment for the occupants. Office Park Plovdiv is a project of new generation - a combination of communicative location, open office spaces, amenities, technical infrastructure and pleasant environment. The building was also awarded with the special prize "Building of the Year" in the category - Public Buildings with Business Purpose. The total floor area of Office Park Plovdiv is 19,998 sq.m, allowing an efficient layout of office units up to 2,220 sq.m. For the convenience of the tenants in Office Park Plovdiv are available restaurant, recreation areas, parking, bank office, as well as a conference room suitable for events, seminars and training. 

Zhivko Ivanov, Asset Management Director of the leading investment company "Galaxy Investment Group", is this year's "Hotelier of the Year". He was personally honoured by the Minister of Tourism Hristo Prodanov for his high standards in managing the company's extensive portfolio of internationally branded hotels, including the InterContinental Sofia, Hilton Sofia and Barceló Royal Beach in Sunny Beach. "Galaxy Investment Group is a company that actively invests in the development of Bulgarian tourism. In 2018, we took a risk and opened the most luxurious brand represented in the country - InterContinental - we took a risk because it was not clear whether the market was ready for such a high price and product segment. Before and especially during Covid, the hotel received every possible award the chain could give for Europe - for product quality, guest satisfaction, efficiency, etc. There is only one way to win these awards - by beating all other InterContinental hotels in Europe in terms of performance," said Zhivko Ivanov during the ceremony.  According to him, as a result of the achievements in these difficult times, Sofia has become the regional hub of the chain for the Balkans. "Currently, despite the Covid crisis, Galaxy Investment Group is investing in Hilton Sofia. Our goal is to turn a product designed and built in the last century into the most modern business hotel in the capital. We are integrating the "Hotel in the Park - Park in the Hotel" concept with state-of-the-art hospitality solutions, and in the conference centre and dining areas we are again taking a risk by implementing three entirely new brands of the chain for the first time in Europe. Our main goal is one - to continue to compete and be the first not only in Sofia," he added.    The third edition of the Bulgarian Tourism Awards determined the best hotels in Bulgaria for 2022 by a vote of an international jury in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and the Operational Programme Tourism - Sofia. Among the other awards were the best travel agency and hotels in the categories - urban, green-medical hotel, coastal and concept hotel. Velingrad was named the Destination of the Year among Bulgarian cities.