The Seven Lakes of the snow-capped Rila mountains of south-western Bulgaria lie nestled in a valley just below Musala, the highest peak in the country. The ancient name of the mountains refers to an abundance of water; in addition to glacial lakes and hot springs, four major rivers find their source in these snow-capped mountains.

Recently, however, the quiet beauty of the region has been broken by the whine of chain saws carving away at the forest below the lakes. A network of dirt roads now provides access for earth-moving vehicles. Just above the first lake, aptly named "The Tear," excavation equipment clears the way for a new chair lift to bring in ski tourists. Beside the lift, one of the national park's backcountry chalets is being transformed into the "Edelweiss Resort," a benchmark construction for the ski area developers.

The Rila Mountain ski project reflects a national frenzy to cash in on an anticipated tourist boom in Bulgaria. In the last seven years, tourism revenues in the country have increased 18 per cent and arrivals are projected to grow from 4.8 million visitors in 2005 to 20 million by 2020. Property values in popular destinations have increased by 20 to 30 percent in the past year alone.

Here among the highest mountains of the region, the construction of a new ski complex promises jobs and economic growth in one of the poorer countries to join the European Union (EU). On the one hand it sounds as though business is riding to the rescue of an impoverished area in former socialist Eastern Europe. On closer inspection, however, the brave new world of free enterprise in Rila National Park looks more like a corporate scam that is taking advantage of compliant police and politicians, while causing massive environmental destruction.