site.btaBansko Named Bulgaria's Top Winter Resort for 13th Consecutive Year

A month before officially opening the new season, Bansko once again has been named Bulgaria’s number one ski resort for the 13th consecutive year by the highest authority in the tourism industry.

The small mountain town received the equivalent of a cinema Oscar from the World Ski Awards Academy, ranking among the 25 best winter destinations in the world.

In the 16-week online competition, 211 top locations from five continents participated, and approximately 4.3 million people (clients and professionals) from over 143 countries voted on WorldSkiAwards.com. This made the poll not only the largest in the industry but also one of the most global officially conducted surveys ever.

This year, Bansko achieved its 13th “golden double” in the history of the ski “Oscars” and its fourth overall hat-trick in the rankings, as the title of the best hotel in Bulgaria went to Kempinski Grand Arena for the 11th time, while the Diana-Ross chalet triumphed again in the chalets category, following victories in 2020, 2023, and 2024.

The resort’s absolute dominance is also illustrated by the fact that it is one of only four places in the world to have won all 13 awards in the 13 editions of the World Ski Awards. Managed by concessionaire Yulen, the winter centre under Todorka Peak has unquestionably dominated the competition since 2013. The only other resorts with the same record are Austria’s Kitzbuhel, France’s Val Thorens - Europe’s highest resort, which received the top global award for the 10th time—and the United States’ Deer Valley.

“We are thrilled to win this Oscar in ski tourism for the 13th consecutive time, because it contributes not only to the image of the town but also to Bulgaria as a preferred destination for luxury ski experiences, where high-quality service comes at an exceptionally attractive price,” said Ivan Obreikov, Marketing Director of Yulen.