Summer Comes Early to Bulgaria with The Tourist Industry Booming

The Bulgarian press this week reported healthy growth in the tourism sector, with the summer season kicking off a month and a half earlier than in previous years.

Official estimates forecast a 6.4% rise in the number of foreign tourists coming to Bulgaria this summer year upon year, mainly thanks to the great interest shown by Russian tourists. The summer season for all tourists in Bulgaria kicked off on April 20, with the head of the State Tourism Agency, Aneliya Krushkova, stating, "This is the first time ever that the summer season is given the go-ahead that early". Krushkova expanded by saying that the Bulgarian tourist industry is set to record a boost in revenues this year, largely due to the higher number of Russian tourists visiting the country. The Bulgarian Industry Centre in Moscow has been actively campaigning to promote Bulgaria’s tourist attractions and it seems this is starting to pay off.

The interest in Bulgaria as a tourist destination is evidently growing and experts predict this trend will persist over the coming years. Countries neighbouring Bulgaria are among those showing interest: the State Agency for Tourism found that 30,000 Romanians visited Bulgaria during Easter this year. Bulgaria’s recent accession into the EU has meant that travelling between countries has been simplified, with Romanians and Greeks being able to enter the country with ID cards only. It is also easier for Serbians, Turks and Macedonians to acquire visas for Bulgaria.

Obelisk International Secures Release of Final Phase of Alpine Lodge Resort in Bansko, Bulgaria.

After negotiations with developers, Obelisk International announces the release of the latest and final phase of the highly successful development, Alpine Lodge Luxury Ski Resort.

Obelisk International met with representatives from RKR Group, developers of Alpine Lodge, at Obelisk’s offices in Canary Wharf, London this week. Extensive negotiations resulted in the real estate investment firm securing exclusive release of the highly sought after final phase of the Luxury Spa Resort in Bansko.

Kathya Santos, Project Manager at Obelisk International states: “Due to the tremendous success and high demand of the project in the first phases, we were keen to offer the final units available from this unique investment opportunity to our clients and are excited that we are now able to do so”.

Alpine Lodge is a luxury apart-hotel resort with extensive on-site leisure facilities which offers world-class skiing and golf amenities given its prime location. The final phase of the project offers fully furnished studio and one-bedroom apartments, built and finished to four-star international standards. The development also includes an onsite spa centre with sauna, Turkish bath and massage/treatment area, a fully equipped gymnasium, and a swimming pool and jacuzzi.

For more information on global investment opportunities and to find out about Obelisk International's latest projects, contact Obelisk International 0808 160 0670 or email sales@obeliskinternational.com

About Obelisk International.

Obelisk International is a real estate investment company providing global investment opportunities that offer security, tangibility and impressive financial performance. Their service to investors is based upon three main principles: price, profit and performance.

CONTACT

Press Contact: Santiago Sanchez-Lozano, Marketing Director, Obelisk International, +34 952 820 319 or santiago@obeliskinternational.com - http://www.obeliskinternational.com/

Obelisk International Opens its Latest Office in Canary Wharf

Obelisk International announces the opening of its Canary Wharf office in April 2007, in the heart of London’s business and financial district.

The real estate investment firm Obelisk International is recognised for providing its clients with global investment opportunities that offer security, tangibility and impressive financial performance, so London’s modern finance centre of Canary Wharf was a natural choice for the company’s latest office. This will be Obelisk International’s third worldwide office and will be the base for the company’s UK division of experienced Real Estate Investment Consultants.

Canary Wharf is home to some of the biggest names in business, and has come to symbolise London’s position as one of the key finance and business centres of the world. Obelisk International is pleased to join major institutions from the worlds of banking, real estate, law and media as tenants of Canary Wharf, and looks forward to the new era in the company’s development that this move heralds.

The Branch Manager of Obelisk International’s Canary Wharf office, Mark Lougher, says: “As Obelisk International goes from strength-to-strength, the creation of a London office is the next natural step for the company to take, and it is necessary to allow for Obelisk’s worldwide expansion. We have received extremely positive feedback from our clients, many of whom are UK-based and are pleased to see that we are extending our network to include the capital.”


For more information on global investment opportunities and to find out about Obelisk International's latest projects, contact Kevin Prior, Sales Director, Obelisk International. +34 952 820 319 or kprior@obeliskinternational.com

About Obelisk International.

Obelisk International is a real estate investment company providing global investment opportunities that offer security, tangibility and impressive financial performance. Their service to investors is based upon three main principles: price, profit and performance.

CONTACT

Press Contact: Santiago Sanchez-Lozano, Marketing Director, Obelisk International, +34 952 820 319 or santiago@obeliskinternational.com - http://www.obeliskinternational.com/

South Africa’s Property Market Benefits from Hosting World Cup

As South Africa prepares to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it is predicted that the country’s real estate market will be one of the areas that benefits most as a result.

The South African property market is currently enjoying a period of growth, which between now and the end of next year is forecast to reach 15%. Low-cost housing is providing opportunities for short-term property investment, as many buyers are opting for smaller properties, such as two-bedroom townhouses or duplexes, and retaining them for around two years before selling them on to cash in on the capital appreciation.

South Africa is also attracting buy-to-let investors, keen to capitalise on the country’s popularity with overseas and domestic visitors, and is promoting areas including the Western Cape and Mpumalanga in the north-east.

Investor confidence in the future of South Africa’s property market was bolstered by a promise of future investment at last year’s World Economic Forum in Cape Town. The Investment Climate Facility (ICF), a new organisation formed to create a more appealing environment in Africa for potential investors, secured in excess of $100 million of funding. The ICF’s Chief Executive, Omari Issa, told ‘Voice of America’ that Africa’s future is “….full of resources, full of potential. The issue really has to do with just releasing that potential”.

Buyers are advised against borrowing in South Africa to purchase a property, as the current interest rate is 12.5%. Buying off plan could be an alternative for potential investors.

Obelisk International Sponsors Real Estate TV: ‘The Next Big Thing’

The real estate investment firm Obelisk International announce their sponsorship of the ‘Next Big Thing’ television series on Real Estate TV.

Real Estate TV, broadcast 24 hours a day, is available to over 17 million viewers in the UK and millions more across Europe. Regular features include property programmes from the UK and around the world, as well as their own unique, commissioned programmes regarding the real estate industry.

‘The Next Big Thing’ series, exclusive to Real Estate TV, identifies and examines the next big boom areas in property. The programmes feature global locations as diverse as Bulgaria, Dubai and Shanghai, and highlight the investment potential of each.

‘The Next Big Thing’ programmes that Obelisk International sponsors include Bulgaria, Caribbean, Murcia (Spain), Dubai and Morocco, among many others. Obelisk International’s Marketing Director, Santiago Sánchez-Lozano, states: “Aligning ourselves with Real Estate TV was a natural choice, given both organisations’ commitment to providing insight into the world of real estate investing. We are proud to be sponsoring ‘The Next Big Thing’ series”.

For more information on investment hotspots and to find out about Obelisk International's exciting new projects, contact Kevin Prior, Sales Director, Obelisk International. 0808 160 0670 or kprior@obeliskinternational.com

About Obelisk International.

Obelisk International offers investors opportunities to invest in various selected real estate projects from around the world. Investors are offered involvement in ventures that represent unrivalled opportunity, potential and ultimately, return on investment. The service they provide to investors is based upon three key aims: price, profit and performance.

CONTACT

Press Contact: Santiago Sanchez-Lozano, Marketing Director, Obelisk International, +34 952 820 319 or santiago@obeliskinternational.com - http://www.obeliskinternational.com/

British Demand High for Second Homes in Dubai

Residential real estate is attracting an increasing level of investment from the UK, as the introduction of new land ownership rights and a favourable rate of exchange draw buyers’ attention away from the more traditional destinations.

The current strength of the pound against the dirham, together with the introduction of freehold ownership rights for foreigners in certain areas, have boosted the popularity of residential real estate in the emirate among UK buyers. Many investors are those who, as they approach retirement age, are looking to invest in a second home in a sunny climate, and who at one time would have been likely to purchase in the likes of Spain or France. Dubai is a viable alternative due to its warm climate and relative accessibility, as it is just a four-hour flight from the UK.

However, there are still concerns among some buyers about purchasing in Dubai. The extent of construction raises the prospect of supply exceeding demand, and the price of the property going down accordingly. In this case, buyers are advised to only purchase high quality apartments, which are likely to hold their value better if the supply exceeds the level of demand.

Up to now, the demand from institutional investors has been comparatively low, and it is predicted to be approximately another five years before such investors move into Dubai. This sector of the market is likely to pick up when the supply of residential and commercial property allows for long-term leases.