In Edirne, Bulgarian tourists continue to take advantage of the favorable exchange rate for shopping. The government’s recent policy allowing Bulgarian tourists to enter without passports or visas, combined with the devaluation of the Turkish lira, has led to an interesting situation that has persisted for some time.
Naturally, local shopkeepers are quite pleased with this turn of events. For instance, here’s what one business owner has to say on the matter.
A döner shop owner comments, “They exchange 1,000 leva and live like royalty here. They eat, drink, and do whatever they want. While our own citizens struggle to afford İskender kebab, Bulgarian tourists are ordering it at every table.”
The Bulgarian currency, the leva, is currently worth 19 TL. Bulgarian tourists arrive in Edirne early in the morning for shopping and choose to stay for both lunch and dinner. The same shopkeeper notes how easily Bulgarians spend and enjoy their meals without concern.
“THE BULGARIANS ARE ENJOYING EDİRNE’S OFFERINGS”
“We’re seeing far more Bulgarian tourists than we expected. The marketplace is almost empty of local residents. There are hardly any domestic tourists either, and Bulgarian customers are everywhere. This makes the shopkeepers happy. Since their currency is stronger, they prefer coming here. If our currency were stronger, we’d be shopping abroad. Right now, they exchange 1,000 leva and live like kings here. While our people can barely afford an İskender kebab, Bulgarians are comfortably eating it at every table. As our currency loses value, more of them are coming, and we continue to serve them.”
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