“Port officials are working to improve our position in the industry and resume cruise ship visits,” said Stoycho Dimov, manager for the port of Burgas. “But that depends on the improvement of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East.

“During the last three years we have seen a drop in cruise ships visits in line with the general decline in the Black Sea region due to the unstable situation in the Crimea and increased fees for crossing the Bosphorus,” said Dimov. “On the other hand, Turkish and Middle Eastern geopolitical conflicts have also severely affected cruise traffic in Burgas.”

Despite that, local officials are bullish on their port city, with a unique Black Sea location and international airport.

With a rich cultural history, and close proximity to a UNESCO site, Burgas offers a strong product and shore excursion program to potential cruise lines, said Dimov.

There are two modern ship berths at the port, with a water depth of 10 meters, along with a 3,000-square-meter terminal building, which was recently renovated. There is also a second passenger terminal with a shopping center, restaurants and event spaces. The port is well suited to run two concurrent cruise calls, Dimov said.

A new expo center is underway in Burgas and the city will play host to the MedCruise General Assembly in 2020.