It is a popular tourist destination, drawing many visitors from Romania, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, Scandinavia, France, Central and Eastern Europe, the Persian Gulf and other countries.

Golden Sands authorities resist demands to provide more automobile roads and car parks, citing the resort's reputation as family friendly, green, and a largely pedestrian place.

Hot mineral water springs and lush woodlands cascading from the Franga Plateau, forming the Golden Sands Nature Park, turn the town into one of the most popular tourist spots in Eastern Europe.

It also comprises the Holiday Club Riviera luxury resort, several villa communities including Panorama, Chaika, Kabakum, and Alen Mak, and the historic grotto of Aladzha Monastery in the vicinity.

The scenic route Varna-Golden Sands, ruptured by a small landslide caused by overdevelopment in the Lipov Kladenets villa district in 2004, remained closed and all traffic redirected to inland roads.