In these General conditions are defined the use of the website VisitBulgariaOn.com and its parties. Parties to these General conditions:

VIP-Sliven Ltd with tour operator's and travel agent's license № PK-01-6616 , the website " VisitBulgariaOn.com" is property of the touroperator and travel agent VIP-Sliven Ltd and every visitor or customer declares to have agreed with the Terms.

Definitions:

Guests - every visitor or customer browsing the website.

Advertisers - Advertisers are all Bulgarian / foreign physical entities that make direct or indirect advertising VisitBulgariaOn.com.

Moderators - Moderator, is an employee of VisitBulgariaOn.com, who ensures the proper functioning of the portal.

Acceptance of the General conditions

The General Conditions shall be adopted by every Guest of the website VisitBulgariaOn.com.

VisitBulgariaOn.com is a website that offers the following services:

Searching for information on packages, sights, tours, trips that are directly related to the alternative forms of tourism;

Finding information on accommodation (hotels, holiday homes, hostels and guesthouses);

Providing information on tourist attractions and destinations;

Online booking of packages, sites, tours, trips, flights, hotels, holiday homes, hostels and guesthouses;

Posting author texts, photos, videos and other information related to travel and the alternative forms of tourism.

Other support services related to alternative tourism.

Terms of use for Guests

VisitBulgariaOn.com provides the described services under the following condition:

The portal does not publish or release to third parties personal information that includes email address, password, gender, date of birth, interests, hobbies and the like without the expressed consent of the user / guest. This type of data is intended solely for business purposes.

Copyright

All information on this site, the layout of VisitBulgariaOn.com, and the name is owned by VIP-Sliven Ltd and everything is copyrighted. Exception from this is information, sounds and images, which are used with the consent of their authors and our partners or are available for public use. Some of our partners are responsible for this part with their products and services.

Information published on the website from the advertisers is their sole copyright and cannot be used outside VisitBulgariaOn.com site without their explicit consent. Advertisers are responsible for the information in advertisements. VisitBulgariaOn.com reserves the right not to publish or delete without warning and information materials, if it considers that they do not meet on any of the regulations. 

VisitBulgariaOn.com reserves the right to terminate, modify and supplement the services and conditions without prior notice.

VisitBulgariaOn.com is not liable for damages resulting from reliance on information or other content placed on the site.

VisitBulgariaOn.com reserves the right to change the Terms at any time in accordance with relevant legal and statutory requirements and in its sole discretion, without prior notice to users. Terms are published prominently in VisitBulgariaOn.com website and are available for each User.

By booking a service with VIP-Sliven Ltd. you are deemed to have accepted on behalf of everyone named in the booking these Booking Conditions, which constitutes the entire agreement between you and VIP-Sliven Ltd., and your booking will be accepted by us on this basis. The following conditions are valid for all services operated through the websites and brand names of VIP-Sliven Ltd.:

1. Booking process

A booking is possible if made by either a customer online or by the staff of VIP-Sliven Ltd. when a certain program and price have been agreed beforehand. In both cases an invoice is issued and sent for payment, which also represents the confirmation of VIP-Sliven Ltd. for the services, ordered by our customers. Any special requirements and medical problems should be reported by the customer at the time of booking. After the full payment is received a set of documents will be sent over to the customer, containing vouchers and other relevant information if needed. The customer should make sure that inside in the booking are correct and if not we should be contacted immediately.

2. Payments

All customers are required to pay a non-refundable deposit of 90,- Euro per person for their booking to be confirmed if nothing else is stated. For groups and preliminary date and/or time the deposit is agreed on and its condition is to stay for any future use without a deadline. This type of deposit is not refunded if the group is cancelled but fully transferable to a future date and time. Full payment should be received not later than 5 weeks prior departure. If such payment is not captured on time we will send you a reminder (in written form) and if no payment follows within 5 days, we reserve the right to cancel your reservation. If your booking is made within 40 days of the departure date then the full amount is payable at the time of booking. Bank charges should be covered by the sending party (the customer).

3. Booking changes

Changes of the published prices by VIP-Sliven Ltd. before your booking confirmation shall not be treated as indecorousness from our side. Although we do our best to maintain up to date rates throughout our websites, unfavourable changes in exchange rates, local operators’ costs, transportation costs and taxes may occur, which will affect the final price. In such cases we will cover any increase up to 3% of the published price, but the customer will be responsible to cover the balance and will be notified about the changes as soon as they become known to VIP-Sliven Ltd. If the increase is more than 10% the customer can cancel the reservation within 10 days of the notification and the deposit will be fully refunded. If a full payment is received by that time however no surcharges will be paid by the customer. If a customer wants to do changes in the tour program it is necessary that these are advised as early as possible. Although we will make efforts to satisfy those changes we do not guarantee that we will be able to meet such requests.

4. Cancellations by the customer

All cancellations should be made in written form to VIP-Sliven Ltd. The following cancellation charges (as a percentage of the total cost, but not less than the deposit) apply for cancellations made by customers for group tours: cancellations made 20 days prior departure are 50% refunded. Cancellations made between 19 and 8 days prior departure are refunded on 30%. Any cancellation less than 7 days prior departure is not refunded. For bookings, where a flight ticket is included, the customers should pay the charges levied by the airline concerned. For day tours: only for some day tours cancellations are possible. For most of the day tours if cancelled less than 3 days prior arrival it's fully not refundable. If a ground service provided by VIP-Sliven Ltd. is omitted by a customer (e.g. transfer, tour etc.) due to last-minute illness, flight cancellation etc. this is considered “no-show” and no refund will be made. The same rule applies if a customer decides to leave the holiday before its end.

5. Cancellations by VIP-Sliven Ltd.

In the unlikely event that VIP-Sliven Ltd. needs to change significantly or cancel a certain reservation, the customer will be given the choice to: 1) accept the changed arrangements; 2) order an alternative service from VIP-Sliven Ltd. (if a cheaper holiday is chosen the price difference will be refunded to the customer; if it is a more expensive one, the difference should be paid extra by the customer); 3) cancel or accept the cancellations by VIP-Sliven Ltd. or line of credits. VIP-Sliven Ltd. is not responsible for any incidental expenses that a customer may has incurred as a result of the booking such as visas, vaccinations or non-refundable flights.

6. Cancellation Policy for Individual Travelers (FITs)

VIP - Sliven Ltd. reserves the right to cancel a confirmed and paid reservation in case of a formal refusal of a hotel, airline or transport company, tour operator partner, booking platform or in case of force majeure. In these cases, VIP - Sliven Ltd. undertakes to offer an alternative solution or voucher for a future period. If the User does not accept the proposed alternative solution or voucher, he may cancel the requested services with a penalty. In this case, VIP-Sliven Ltd. reimburses the sums paid by it only if they are accordingly reimbursed to VIP-Sliven Ltd. by the hotel, airline or transport company, partner tour operator or booking platform, while deducting the expenses and / or the commission for the services provided. Refunds will be made within 30 days from the date of receipt of the amounts from the other party.

7. Force-majeure

VIP-Sliven Ltd. shall not be held liable in cases of "force majeure" circumstances, herewith described as events which we or our subcontractors cannot predict or avoid, such as: terrorist activity, strike, war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire, viruses, tsunami etc. Upon a management consideration some bookings will be provided with a line of credit for a certain period of time and with a % on top of the paid amounts which will be advised for every customer separately.

8. Complaints

Should our customers experience problems during their holidays they must inform in written form (with a copy to the head office of VIP-Sliven Ltd. at office@visitbulgariaon.com) the local representative of the agency (or the tour leader of the group) or if there is no such person – the hotelier, carrier or the local supplier on the spot signing a 3-sided protocol and sending the same. Any complaints brought to our attention after the end of the holiday, package, day or multi-day tour could only be regarded but we regret in advance that no efforts could really be made at this later stage which would have made your holiday more enjoyable.

9. Accuracy 

We endeavour to present the information in our websites and brochures as accurate as possible but some errors may occur during the time of publishing or meant amendments afterwards. We kindly ask you to make sure that the information and price at the time of booking is correct, as well as the information published later on in your invoice and voucher(s).

10. Photos and testimonials

Images taken during our holidays may be used by VIP-Sliven Ltd. without charge in all media for marketing or advertising purposes (i.e. websites, brochures, slideshows etc.). Written feedback and images sent to the company by customers are also subject of the same conditions and can also be used.

11. Travel insurance, health and immigration

Please note that no travel insurance is included in our packages and we suggest that at the time of booking all customers consider purchasing a policy of their choice. Customers are also fully responsible for all visa, passport, immigration, quarantine, customs, health and other requirements of the countries visited or transited. A valid passport must be carried by each person. VIP-Sliven Ltd. is not responsible if a customer fails to ensure that they comply with these requirements.

We are committed to designing and operating our holidays in such a way to ensure we maximize the positive effects of tourism on the local economies, cultures and the environment whilst minimizing any negative impacts. There are a number of ways we work to achieve this.

VIP-Sliven Ltd. is dedicated to responsible and sustainable travel as it considers it vital for its operations as an alternative travel tour operator. Not only it's very trendy nowadays to be a green traveller but as such we believe that a first class experiences and unforgettable memories are delivered in isolated communities, authentic cultures, preserved habitats and lively traditions.

Main Goal

We want to grant full association of sustainable travel with alternative tourism and to stand up as an example in Bulgaria for its proper implementation.

Our aims & objectives

We recognise that the destinations we visit are affected by our trips, so we ensure they are designed and operated responsibly, maximizing the positive effects of tourism.

Local group leaders/staff welfare – local group leaders are employed on more than 92% of our trips, and we aim to use local guides and support staff where possible, providing employment for local communities. We are committed to developing long-term relationships with our local suppliers, by working closely with them to develop new products/services and providing staff training to ensure that the economic benefit is ongoing.

All our guides demonstrate environmentally protecting behavior and are inducing such behavior as a standard for the whole group. Being in the group, your guide will provide you with general guidelines, involving staying on trails, maintaining set distances away from wildlife, and not encouraging drivers to move too close to wildlife, even if it is tempting for getting a better picture.

Use local services – by using local transport and as many local businesses as possible, money stays in-country and local enterprise is encouraged. We work closely with local restaurants, shops and equipment providers, and also choose locally-owned accommodation, 55% of our trips now feature a homestay, giving money to local families to accommodate our guests.

Information – we are commited from January 2014 onwards to provide information to the travelers on how they can act responsibly whilst on their trip, including details of local projects they may visit whilst away. Whilst now, our local group leaders help our customers gain an insight into the culture of the country they are visiting.

Environment – we audit all of our trips according to their environmental impact and then work to minimize this. This means making sure local trekking guidelines are followed, no litter is left behind, water sources are environmentally friendly and responsible cooking fuels are used, if applicable. We also have guidelines in place for specific excursions and packages, like those related with buggy riding and jeep safaris to ensure that everything is intact. Thinking about the reducing the carbon emissions during your travel, starts at home. We encourage our customers to consider donation for offsetting their flight carbon emissions. While in Bulgaria we always use vehicles with low carbon emissions. We always provide with and encourage our tourists to learn about the vital ecosystems in Bulgaria – WWF Danube-Carpathian Program (www.panda.org/bulgaria) and BALKANI Wildlife Society (www.balkani.org) before arriving to the country. 75% of the guesthouses we work with have the Green lodge® certificate issued by BAAT which acts in several directions: Support of environmental friendly agriculture, Efficient use of energy and water, Active waste reduction policy, Contribution to nature protection, Focus on cultural heritage, Contribution to the local economy, Environmental information services to guests, Continuous improvement of environmental performance.

Itinerary Development – when planning our trips, we consider how each one can run responsibly. Can we source a homestay? Where can we use local transport, instead of a charter bus? Is there a project we can support, or is there a visit where fees paid will go towards environmental development?

Once the trip is operating, it is audited on these things and many more. We aim to ensure our trips are as responsible as they possibly can be.

Our office – our staff t-shirts are from a sustainable supplier, we recycle our office paper, and educate staff on how to cut waste. By developing our website and electronic literature, we’re also trying to reduce the amount of paper materials we produce. That's for now, more to come and be done as we develop !

Local Community – we assess our local community suppliers to ensure they work under our criteria. Moreover, we link them to other responsible tour operators worldwide in order to deliver more work and income for them.

Our partnerships

VIP-Sliven Ltd is a proud member of the Bulgarian Association for Alternative Tourism (BAAT) where our owner Mr. Hristo Yanev takes part in the governing body. With BAAT we work towards certifying guesthouses according to the Association Sustainability guidelines and also work mutually on various projects concerning the sustainability in the alternative forms of tourism on the territory of Bulgaria.

We're in the process of creating a range of trips which combine the different aspects of alternative tourism as well as a variety of a usual trip, with 2-3 days helping local communities, or a wildlife or environmental project.

Many VIP-Sliven Ltd customers tell us that their favourite holiday highlights are born out of genuine interaction with local communities, the times on tour when they are able to get involved in life as it goes on around them. We listen to what our travellers say, and so now we are almost ready with such trips.