By this summer, 29 new trams will be successively delivered in Sofia. The renewal of the fleet is funded under Operational Program Environment. The new trains are supplied by a Polish company and have low-floor, air conditioning, boarding platforms, places for mothers with strollers and disabled people, and video surveillance. Four new fast-charging electric buses will also be delivered. Thus Sofia Municipality finalizes the renovation of the city’s trolleybus park by removing all old Ikarus vehicles.
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About 11,000 tons of compost were produced in 2022 at the Sofia Municipality’s green waste treatment plant. The Han Bogrov center receives green waste from the parks and the Christmas trees after the New Year holidays. The managing team of the facility explains that the natural waste decomposition process takes 10 years, while the controlled biological decomposition takes 2-3 months, and the compost is a highly soil-enriching product. The Sofia Municipality continues its initiative to provide for free 10 kg. high-quality compost. Citizens can take compost from the Khan Bogrov installation by providing paid waste collection tax certificate.
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Sofia ranks third among 29 European cities for the number of 4* and 5* luxury and spa hotels per 1 million tourists in a survey of the international property rental platform OVO Network. Thus, our city ranks right after Barcelona and Zurich. Sofia scores fifth for the number of 5-star hotels, and in the general ranking, it is in 12th position. Europe’s best luxury destinations Ranking considers the number of 5-star hotels, Michelin-star restaurants, top-rated spas, ‘luxury’ search trends (number of keyword searches for ‘luxury’ followed by the name of the city), and how safe the city is, to reveal the best European cities for a high-end getaway. Results are per 1,000,000 tourists.
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Starting from April, direct flights from Sofia to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will be launched. The country is a strategic partner for Bulgaria in the Middle East. The flights will be operated by “Bulgaria Air”. The direct line was agreed upon during the official meetings between the Ministry of Innovation and Growth (MIG) and the Saudi Ministry of Economy. It aims to facilitate business cooperation between the two countries in the field of information and communication technology, automotive industry, logistics, etc. According to MIG data, bilateral trade in 2021 increased by more than 30% compared to 2020 and amounted to USD 313.2 million.
