“Everything we are capable of imagining can be achieved,” is the firm belief of Andrian Dimitrov, CEO of Aurora EAD.
In its “Business Carats: Voices of Value” section, Bgtourism.bg gives a voice to successful figures in Bulgarian tourism. These are the people driving the transformation of the industry into a powerful engine of the national economy, constantly pushing forward and embracing new challenges. Their example is inspiring for anyone who wishes to follow their dreams. Their stories, drawn from real life, are as compelling as they are insightful. Today, our guest is Andrian Dimitrov, CEO of Aurora EAD.
Kristian IVANOV
“You can.”.
This is the answer to every question, from the moment of Creation to the present day. Lovers of literature will recall how, in East of Eden, John Steinbeck interprets the ancient Hebrew biblical word “timshel” through these two simple wordsIt is the most important word in the world, through which God grants humanity the sacred right of free will, the great American writer argues, and life itself confirms his insight.
You can choose to fight for your dreams. Or you can choose not to. You can set out on a journey to conquer new heights. Or you can drift through life without direction or purpose. You can…
The year is 2011. At just 16 years old, a boy from Pleven chooses his path. His name is Andrian Dimitrov, and today he is the CEO of Aurora EAD, managing? Hotel Allegra 4*, located in Golden Sands, as well as properties in Italy – Abano Terme: Premiere 5*L, President 5 E, and Antoniano 4*. His journey toward his own timshel begins with a 45-minute documentary.
“I was a tenth-grade student at the Vocational High School of Tourism in Pleven “Aleko Konstantinov” when one day our math teacher, Polina Borisova, walked into the classroom and said, “Today we’re going to watch a film,” Adrian Dimitrov recalls.
The suggestion, of course, is met with excitement and cheerful reactions from the students. For the future hotelier, however, this turns out to be the day that reshapes his understanding of the world.
“The film was a documentary, about 45 minutes long – the length of a school period,” Andrian recounts. “It was called The Secret. It presented several human stories that sound almost unbelievable, yet are entirely real. One of them is about an American man living under constant stress from an endless struggle with unpaid bills. Every day, his mailbox fills with notices of more and more upcoming payments. He is forced to survive in an unequal race. Something has to change, and our protagonist knows exactly what. He needs a reserve of 30,000 dollars in his bank account. That would give him the longed-for sense of calm, beyond the pressure that overwhelms him at the end of every month. He takes a large sheet of cardboard and writes the number 30,000 on it, then sticks it to the ceiling above his bed. This way, the first thing he sees every morning is the goal he must move toward. Six months later, he wakes up and his bank account is no longer in the negative. It holds 30,000 dollars. No miracle has happened during those six months. He hasn’t won the lottery. But he has learned new things and started working for more money. Opportunities have opened up to him – ones he hadn’t been able to notice before. His life has changed. The demons of his past are gone.”
“The film explains that between 50 000 and 70 000 thoughts are formed in the human mind each day, and that the very first ones – those that come right after waking – are the most decisive for how the day unfolds,” says Andrian Dimitrov. “That’s why it is so important how we train our minds. It shapes the way we live. I believe that a person can achieve anything they are able to imagine. Try to see your dream as already fulfilled in your mind, and then don’t stop until it becomes reality. As incredible as it may sound, it works. I have personally experienced the power of thought…”
Even before finishing high school, Andrian Dimitrov already has a clear plan in mind. He wants to develop in the field of hospitality and become the CEO of a major company in the industry. The path upward is long, and Dimitrov begins his ascent from the very first steps. His initial internships start while he is still in school. He gains hands-on experience in the kitchen, in the restaurant, and at the SPA reception, building practical skills in his hometown of Pleven. There, he first works as a housekeeper and later as a receptionist.
At the age of 16, Dimitrov begins a trial period at Hotel Iberostar in Golden Sands as a waiter-bartender. He performs well and soon receives an offer for a full-time contract.
A year later, he broadens his horizons with an international internship in Vienna. In the Austrian capital, he works at Bar Puerto and becomes familiar with the standards of luxury hotel chains such as Kempinski Hotels. He completes his secondary education in Pleven and goes on to study in Varna, where he graduates in Management from the University of Economics. He later continues his education with a master’s degree in Berlin, Germany.
Having just come of age, Andrian Dimitrov begins working at a seaside hotel. Over the next eleven years, he works with the same investors, steadily climbing the corporate ladder to the position of CEO.
Dream No. 1 is achieved, but the challenges grow ever greater. The COVID-19 pandemic shakes the foundations of the global tourism industry like a powerful earthquake, and Bulgaria is no exception. Yet crisis also creates opportunity. Dimitrov proposes changes to the business, including the development of a solar park. The company successfully navigates a series of difficulties, including the loss of a Russian corporate partner due to the complex geopolitical situation. A new marketing strategy, built around partnerships with new tour operators, is implemented and delivers the expected positive results. What lies ahead for Andrian Dimitrov?
“At the moment, my main long-term goal is to create and manage my own hotel,” he shares. “I am also convinced that there is significant potential in the development of solar parks, which could serve as a parallel business model. New technologies, artificial intelligence, and the automation of certain processes are entering the hospitality industry. I want to be part of this transformation.” How far this ambitious hotelier will go in pursuing his dreams is a question only the future can answer. His guiding principle remains: “Work hard, believe, and give it your all!”
Because: “You can”…
