IX. BUSINESS TRAVEL Sofia is well served by European Airlines with convenient direct flights to most major cities in Europe. Balkan Airlines, the national carrier, has an extensive network of routes including direct flights to New York and Toronto, as well as routes to major cities in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Africa, Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Train and bus travel from neighboring countries is much more cumbersome, with many hours taken up in delays and border crossings. Car travel to Sofia from Greece, e.g. Thessaloniki (4 1/2 hours), or from Istanbul (7 hours), is manageable and can be quite pleasant. Northern crossings through Romania can be difficult due to the bottlenecks created by truck traffic crossing the Danube. Surface travel across former Yugoslavia is not advised. Travel across Bulgaria can be enjoyable as long as expectations for attaining distances are lowered and driving is done in a more leisurely manner. Frequent slow agricultural traffic or other slow moving vehicles, as well as sections of poor urban streets will be encountered. The national road system is generally acceptable, though in the winter months precautions should be taken for mountain travel. The drive across Bulgaria from Sofia to the East Coast can be stunning as it parallels the Balkan Mts. Travel within Sofia is not difficult given the concentration of business activity within center. Taxis and rentals are readily available, and the more adventurous can hop on the tram or bus. A. Business Customs Bulgarians are more informal in their business habits, from dress to manners, than many West Europeans. Moreover, Bulgarians prefer to become familiar with their business partner over coffee or soft drinks especially during initial meetings before launching into detailed discussions. When discussions progress onto business topics, very often general agreement is reached with details to be left for another meeting or to be mailed/faxed at a later date. While Bulgarians are shrewd at business they may not take an aggressive stance, and as such will wait for the foreign partner to initiate or advance the relationship. This trait combined with the poor communications in Bulgaria results in many missed opportunities, as the U.S. partner considers Bulgarian non-responsiveness as a signal of lack of interest. This is in most instances not the case, though many less experienced Bulgarians will need to be prodded into prompt exchanges of correspondence. Western business partners may invite their Bulgarian partners to lunch or dinner, however it is unusual for the Bulgarian businessman to include his wife at such events. Bulgarians are very proud of their land and may invite guests on special occasions to visit their favorite country getaway. Such offers should be considered unique and memorable. B. Travel Advisory and Visas Aside from the unavoidable pirate-rate taxis from the airport (a normal ride to downtown should not be more than $10.00) some other common-sense measures should be taken. The airport is old and congested and pickpocketing is frequent especially around the change booths. Incoming bags may be pilfered - one method is to use ordinary masking tape, wrapping it completely around the bags and the locks. This apparently deters thieves who don't wish to make their entry obvious. In the downtown areas, handbags and wallets should be kept close at hand or in a less exposed manner. Valuables, including jewelry should be placed in the hotel safe as even the best hotels in town are subject to pilferings. Walking around town, even at night, can be enjoyable but better to be done in pairs and along trafficked streets. While the business traveler will likely not be approached, young foreigners at the main train station have been approached and offered drugged food and drink. The Embassy advises all travelers to be wary of such ploys which land the victim in the park or hospital without his valuables. Finally, Bulgaria has encountered a rash of car thefts and all precautions, including steering wheel "clubs", alarms, or parking in a secure location should be taken. No visas are required for stays of up to 30 days. Business representatives planning on stays of more than 30 days should obtain a visa from the Bulgarian Embassy, though such visas may also be obtained at the border but at considerable more cost. According to Bulgarian law, foreigners staying more than 48 hours much register with the local police (hotels will provide this service as standard practice); individuals staying at locations other than hotels should contact their hosts for information on police registration. Recent regulations have tightened the requirements for obtaining a work permit. Full documentation of credentials such as diplomas, certificates, training etc. will normally be requested by Bulgarian labor authorities to determine the need for such foreign skills over the local labor pool. Documents should be verified in advance by the U.S. State Department's Authentication Office (tel: 202-647-5002) in order to be accepted. C. Holidays Bulgaria celebrates January 1st (New Year's Day); March 3rd (Liberation from the Ottoman Yoke Day); May 1st (Labor Day), Easter Sunday; the first Monday after the Orthodox Easter (Easter Monday); May 24th (Cyril and Methodius Day), December 25th (Christmas Day) and December 26th (Christmas Holiday). A complete listing of holidays can be found in the special edition of Business America for the business traveler. D. Business Infrastructure Infrastructure is one of the weak points of Bulgaria. As noted previously, communications within and to Bulgaria are difficult, though major programs are underway to modernize the system and provide options such as cellular phones, micro-wave systems, v- sat systems, private line/satellite linkages, and fiber-optic based connections. Such technology however is only as good as the weakest link in the network, meaning that the local cabling is subject to climatic conditions, construction, as well as vandalism and pirating of lines. Business reps will have to endure such a predicament until the upgrades come on line. Bulgarian is a Slavic-based language, with similarities to Serbo- Croatian and Russian. A few courtesy words or phrases will carry the business visitor a long way in establishing rapport or acceptance. On the professional level, English is increasingly spoken with German, French, and Russian as the next in order of usage. Major hotels and some restaurants will have some knowledge of English. But the business visitor should be aware that a nod of alleged comprehension of what was said does not necessarily mean that the English was in fact understood. Incidentally, the traditional Western gesture of nodding meaning yes, and shaking the head for no, is reversed for Bulgarians. Finding the right accommodations can be a problem in Bulgaria given the many years of apartment block construction at the expense of single dwelling homes. Increasingly, the outskirts of the city are populated with renovated and expanded homes that are occupied by the incoming foreign community. Living on the side of Vitosha Mt. can have its appeal but isolation also brings greater concern for security and access up snowy roads. Apartments are also available but normally require some hunting. Foreigners may either use an apartment search service, contact the state-run housing organization - BODK; or look at newspaper listings. Those contemplating a move to Sofia should contact the U.S.& F.C.S. for further tips and suggestions. There are no overriding health considerations other than infrequent city and industrial pollution, neither of which reach any critical proportions except during a few temperature inversion days of the winter. Bulgaria has in fact a sunny, dry, and pleasant climate with four seasons. For medical care, a handful of doctors and dentists have Western training and cater to the foreign community; hospital care still leaves much to be desired. Should hospitalization be required, patients should opt to travel to West European hospitals, if possible. Most basic medications are available, but specialized prescription drugs should be brought or mailed. All basic food items can be obtained in Bulgaria. Some American products such as cereals, condiments and canned goods are available at specialty stores in Sofia. Meats and dairy products are also available but not necessarily in recognizable cuts or with convenience packaging.