On 13 October, Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko’s management team visited the Dancing Bears Park in Belitsa for a planned team-building event and donated one tonne of fresh fruits. The time of the visit was scheduled purposely for October. This time of the year, the bears are preparing themselves for winter hibernation and they need more carbohydrates and vitamins. The park’s staff will hide the donated food in different places so the bears can find it as they normally do in their natural life.
Built on an area of 120,000 sq m, the Bears Park in Belitsa is the largest rehabilitation centre for bear protection in Europe, offering them a future beyond pain and agony. The previous owners of the animals used them to entertain tourists in resorts. They trained them at a young age to dance with fierce training methods, like standing on hot-iron plates while someone played the fiddle, so the bear would keep moving to avoid the pain from burning. They would often pierce their noses with an iron ring, making the animal quickly fall captive to its owner. Thanks to the Four Paws organisation, the Brigitte Bardot Foundation and the municipality of Belitsa, the dancing bears are back in their natural habitat surrounded by dense forests, meadows and specially made dens and ponds. Now, 24 bears, ranging in age from 5 to 32-years-old, live at Bears Park Belitsa and are allocated by temperament into seven sectors.
General Manager Mr Athanassios Manos commented, “A visit to the Dancing Bears Park is not just as a team building activity, but a great opportunity to show our humanity towards the bears in the park. Today we all learned some news about the bears and most importantly, at the end of the day, we all shared a feeling of joy and satisfaction for completing one good deed. Herewith, I would like to express my respect to all of the people taking care of the animals and want to assure that Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko will continue to support them in their mission.”
About Kempinski:
Created in 1897, Kempinski Hotels is Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group. Kempinski’s rich heritage of impeccable personal service and superb hospitality is complemented by the exclusivity and individuality of its properties. Kempinski now manages a portfolio of 74 five-star hotels in 31 countries and continues to add new properties in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Each one reflects the strength and success of the Kempinski brand without losing sight of its heritage. The portfolio comprises historic landmark properties, award-winning urban lifestyle hotels, outstanding resorts, and prestigious residences. Each one is imbued with the quality guests have come to expect from Kempinski while embracing the cultural traditions of its location. Kempinski is a founding member of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2014.
For further information please contact:
Helen Gorbunova ▪ Regional Director PR Eastern Europe ▪
The Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow ▪ Ul. Balchug 1 ▪ Moscow ▪ 115035, Russia
Tel. +7 (495) 287 2000 ▪ Fax +7 (495) 287 2002 ▪ helen.gorbunova@kempinski.com
Emiliya Kordeva ▪ Sales and Marketing Coordinator ▪
Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko ▪ 96, Pirin Street ▪ 2770 Bansko ▪ Bulgaria
Tel. +359 749 88568 ▪ Fax +359 749 88560 ▪ emiliya.kordeva@kempinski.com
To book or for further information visit
www.kempinski.com/press • www.globalhotelalliance.com
