bulgaria tourism statistics 2023

Bulgaria’s Tourism Revenue Surpasses Pre-Pandemic Levels in November 2023

Bulgaria ’s tourism revenue in November 2023 exceeded pre-pandemic levels, marking a strong recovery for the industry.

According to data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI) , revenue from overnight stays reached 69.1 million BGN ($38.2 million), surpassing November 2019’s 42.8 million BGN.

Domestic Travelers Lead the Growth

The 26 million BGN increase represents a 12.8% rise over November 2022. Bulgarian visitors contributed 46.3 million BGN, a 17.4% increase over November 2019, while foreigners spent 22.8 million BGN, up 5.1%.

Despite a slight 0.6 percentage point occupancy rate dip to 23.8%, positive trends emerged across accommodation categories .

Four- and five-star hotels reported 30.1% occupancy, followed by 24.3% for three-star, and 16.2% for one- and two-star establishments.

Number of Accommodations and Bed Spaces Expand

In November, Bulgaria offered 2,066 accommodation establishments with 59,600 rooms and 123,100 bed spaces.

While establishments dipped 0.3%, bed spaces grew 4.1% year-over-year.

Overnight Stays and Arrivals Show Momentum

Overnight stays held steady at 855,200.

Bulgarians accounted for 636,200 nights, while foreigners stayed 219,000 nights.

Four- and five-star accommodations captured significant non-resident (70.2%) and national (43.1%) overnight stays.

Overall arrivals increased 5.5% to 424,700, including a 7.1% rise for Bulgarians and 0.8% for foreigners.

Arrivals also expanded by 11.5% in November 2019.

Bulgarians and Foreigners Increase Stays

Bulgarian residents totaled 322,800 stays, averaging two nights, while 101,900 foreigners stayed 2.1 nights on average.

The positive data signals Bulgaria’s tourism industry is recovering well from the pandemic downturn.

As the country continues attracting domestic and foreign travelers, the growth trajectory indicates the pre-pandemic performance levels could become norms rather than outliers in the coming years.

Schengen Access Imminent as Tourism Thrives

With Bulgaria’s booming tourism numbers and upcoming entry into the Schengen zone this March, EU visitors and prospective immigrants have bright prospects.

As the nation prepares for expanded visa-free access and cross-border movement, its resurgent tourism revenues indicate readiness to handle the traffic boost.

After receiving Schengen approval, Bulgaria is poised to reap substantial benefits this spring when existing border controls vanish.

Given the nation continues outperforming pre-pandemic tourism metrics as the Schengen green light nears, the stage looks set for significant future growth.

Strong Tourism Aligns with Schengen Plans

Now that EU ministers have voted to approve Bulgaria’s long-awaited Schengen membership, the country’s thriving tourism industry demonstrates perfect timing.

With sector revenues, foreign visitors, and accommodation offerings reaching new heights just months before obtaining expanded travel access in March 2024, Bulgaria seems capable of harnessing these trends to drive prosperity.

As the nation counts down to lifting all internal European border controls, these indicators spotlight its infrastructure and abilities to harness the upcoming Schengen boost.

With tourism surging, Bulgaria appears ready to make the most of its hard-won open borders within Europe.

Bright Outlook for Bulgaria’s Tourism Sector

With increased accommodation capacity and steady rises in both domestic and international visitors and overnights, Bulgaria is poised for a strong tourism comeback.

If current trends persist, the country could consistently surpass its pre-COVID tourism metrics and revenue in the long run.

For tourists seeking underrated European destinations rich in natural beauty, history, and culture, Bulgaria may prove an ideal spot to visit in 2024 and beyond.

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Bulgaria Tourism Statistics

Bg: international tourism: expenditures, view bulgaria's bg: international tourism: expenditures from 1995 to 2020 in the chart:.

BG: International Tourism: Expenditures: % of Total Imports

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BG: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Passenger Transport Items

View bulgaria's bg: international tourism: expenditures: for passenger transport items from 1995 to 2020 in the chart:.

BG: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Travel Items

View bulgaria's bg: international tourism: expenditures: for travel items from 1995 to 2020 in the chart:.

BG: International Tourism: Number of Arrivals

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BG: International Tourism: Number of Departures

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BG: International Tourism: Receipts

View bulgaria's bg: international tourism: receipts from 1995 to 2020 in the chart:.

BG: International Tourism: Receipts: % of Total Exports

View bulgaria's bg: international tourism: receipts: % of total exports from 1995 to 2020 in the chart:.

BG: International Tourism: Receipts: for Passenger Transport Items

View bulgaria's bg: international tourism: receipts: for passenger transport items from 1995 to 2020 in the chart:.

BG: International Tourism: Receipts: for Travel Items

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The Sofia Globe

Bulgaria’s independent English-language news and features website.

Tourism numbers in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia ‘recovering extremely quickly after the pandemic’

Tourism numbers in Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia are recovering quickly after the pandemic, according to statements by Sofia municipality and the country’s Tourism Ministry.

Sofia municipality quoted mayor Yordanka Fandukova as saying that in 2022, Sofia was visited by more than 900 000 tourists, about 57 per cent more than in 2021, and numbers were approaching those before the Covid-19 pandemic.

The largest numbers of visitors to Sofia came from Israel, Italy, Germany, Romania and Turkey.

Fandukova said that from April 19 to 22, an international conference of the City Destination Alliance is to be held in Sofia.

More than 200 delegates representing more than 100 cities are expected to attend the conference.

Sofia has been a member of the organisation since September 2021.

Sofia municipality will also develop routes along the paths of memory related to the 80th anniversary of the 1943 prevention of the deportation of the Bulgarian Jews to the death camps of the Holocaust, the municipality said.

The route will include Sofia Synagogue, the Jewish community headquarters and the house where Dimitar Peshev, one of those who played a key role in the prevention of the deportation, lived.

Caretaker Tourism Minister Ilin Dimitrov said that the 68 th session of the World Tourism Organisation’s Europe regional commission would be held in Sofia at the end of May.

“We are expecting more than 30 ministers of tourism, this is a unique chance to show not only Sofia, but also Bulgaria in the best light, in order to attract even more tourists,” Dimitrov said.

He said that cities recover much faster than resorts after the pandemic years because of good event programmes.

“Sofia is attracting tourists again and the growth is comparable to that of Istanbul,” Dimitrov said.

Fandukova and Dimitrov discussed opportunities for advertising and better transport connectivity of the capital for more visits by foreign tourists.

Emphasis was placed on the upcoming visit to Bulgaria of over 300 influencers from Germany, Turkey, Romania and Poland, who will have the opportunity to get to know the tourist routes in the capital, the Tourism Ministry said.

( Photo of Sofia Synagogue: Nikolai Karaneschev )

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International Tourism to End 2023 Close to 90% of Pre-Pandemic Levels

• All Regions
• 30 Nov 2023

International tourism is on track to recover almost 90% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year. According to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), an estimated 975 million tourists travelled internationally between January and September 2023, an increase of 38% on the same months of 2022.

The newest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer also shows:

• World destinations welcomed 22% more international tourists in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year, reflecting a strong Northern Hemisphere summer season.
• International tourist arrivals hit 91% of pre-pandemic levels in the third quarter, reaching 92% in July, the best month so far since the start of pandemic.
• Overall, tourism recovered 87% of pre-pandemic levels in January-September 2023 . That puts the sector on course to recover almost 90% by the end of the year.
• International tourism receipts could reach USD 1.4 trillion in 2023 , about 93% of the USD 1.5 trillion earned by destinations in 2019.

The latest UNWTO data shows that international tourism has almost completely recovered from the unprecedented crisis of COVID-19 with many destinations reaching or even exceeding pre-pandemic arrivals and receipts

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: "The latest UNWTO data shows that international tourism has almost completely recovered from the unprecedented crisis of COVID-19 with many destinations reaching or even exceeding pre-pandemic arrivals and receipts. This is critical for destinations, businesses, and communities where the sector is a major lifeline. "

The Middle East, Europe and Africa lead recovery

• The Middle East continues to lead the recovery by regions in relative terms, with arrivals 20% above pre-pandemic levels in the nine months through September 2023. The Middle East remains the only world region to surpass 2019 levels this period. Visa facilitation measures, the development of new destinations, investments in new tourism-related projects and the hosting of large events, help underpin this remarkable performance.
• Europe , the world's largest destination region, welcomed 550 million international tourists over the period, 56% of the global total. That represents 94% of pre-pandemic levels. The rebound was supported by robust intra-regional demand as well as strong demand from the United States.
• Africa recovered 92% of pre-pandemic visitors this nine-month period,  and arrivals in the Americas reached 88% of 2019 numbers this period, as the region benefitted from strong US demand, in particular to Caribbean destinations.
• Asia and the Pacific reached 62% of pre-pandemic levels this period due to slower reopening to international travel. However, performance among subregions is mixed, with South Asia recovering 95% of pre-pandemic levels but North-East Asia only about 50%.

International tourist arrivals (% change vs. 2019)

The World Tourism Barometer includes more focused data on regions, as well as sub-regions and individual destinations.

Tourism spending strong

Strong demand for outbound travel was reported by several large source markets this period, with many exceeding 2019 levels. Germany and the United States spent 13% and 11% more respectively on outbound travel than in the same nine months of 2019, while Italy spent 16% more through August.

The sustained recovery is also reflected in the performance of industry indicators. Drawing on data from IATA (the International Air Transport Association) and STR, the UNWTO Tourism Recovery Tracker details a strong recovery in air passenger numbers and tourist accommodation occupancy levels.

Against this backdrop, international tourism is well on track to fully recover pre-pandemic levels in 2024 despite economic challenges such as high inflation and weaker global output, as well as important geopolitical tensions and conflicts.

Related links

• Download the News Release on PDF
• World Tourism Barometer | Volume 21 • Issue 4 • November 2023 | EXCERPT
• World Tourism Barometer (PPT version)
• UNWTO Tourism Recovery Tracker
• UNWTO World Tourism Barometer
• UNWTO Tourism Data Dashboard

Unpredictable, chaotic, yet successful – Bulgaria’s tourist year 2022

‎ Before and after the pandemic – this is watershed by which we continue to determine whether the tourism year was a success or not. The year before Covid-19, 2019, is considered one of the most productive in the tourist industry But what happened in the current 2022 and did the lifting of restrictive pandemic measures unleash the desired tourist flow to and from Bulgaria? And more - how did the Russian aggression in the region, the energy crisis and the raging inflation affect tourist travel? ‎

Chaotic and unpredictable - this is how the industry defines the year 2022, as an effect of stress, increased costs and low profits. " But we have largely returned to the best years, before the pandemic ," says Rumen Draganov from the Institute for Tourism Analysis and Evaluation. According to him, Bulgarian tourism is currently moving about 15 percent lower than the levels of the "coveted" 2019, which is a good result. The full recovery of the tourist sector is expected to happen by 2024.

What was 2022 in terms of tourism?

“In general, there has not been an easy year in Bulgarian tourism in its entire history”, says Rumen Draganov. “We have had very difficult years, both during the Chernobyl period and during the revolutions that happened with the burning of our parliament in the 1990s, with the subsequent financial crises in 1998 and later, etc. So we are in yet another situation where we are overcoming a crisis or working in conditions of uncertainty . But what we saw is that in 2022, we created satisfied tourists not only with the conditions, but also with the quality of service, which was at a very high level. During the years of the pandemic, businesses that could not cope with the complex situation dropped out of the market. Those who relied on their own strengths and not the state to move forward and create a quality product survived . Some of them even exceeded the volumes they had in 2019.”

The war did not significantly affect the industry in the challenging year of 2022 , the traditional markets from the EU are successfully recovering, interest in cultural and historical routes in an urban environment is growing, the industry reports. In October and November, there was a large increase in European tourists for cultural, educational and weekend tourism. ‎

It was a challenging year, but Bulgaria did well . Konstantin Zankov, consultant and tourist entrepreneur, shares this opinion. According to him, the war in the region still had an impact on planned trips, but it was mainly about tourists from distant markets, such as Asia for example:‎

‎"Because imagine when a Japanese or Chinese looks at Bulgaria on the world map and sees where Ukraine is, for them the distance is only a few centimeters and that worries them. Therefore, there is still a decline in these journeys in our part of Europe. On the other hand, conventional tourism, such as spa, seaside and all recreational forms of tourism in Bulgaria developed very well this year! But there is still much to be desired at the level of marketing Bulgaria as a destination . In my opinion, we should put more emphasis on digital channels for advertising our country. Because it is good to know specifically whom we "target" with our product. It is important to have online presence in order to have tourism in all four seasons," Konstantin Zankov says in conclusion.‎

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Bulgaria Tourist Arrivals

The number of tourist arrivals in bulgaria increased by 7.2% year-on-year to 756.510 thousand in march 2024, following a 15.6% growth in the previous month. the majority of visits to bulgaria were for other purposes (50.4%), followed by holiday & recreation (35.4%) and professional trips (14.1%). eu residents accounted for 49.7% of total trips, with romania (37.4%) being the largest contributor, followed by greece (30.8%). meanwhile, arrivals from other european countries accounted for 41%, mainly coming from turkey (48.6%). source: national statistical institute of bulgaria, tourist arrivals in bulgaria increased to 756510 in march from 698944 in february of 2024. tourist arrivals in bulgaria averaged 838714.66 from 1991 until 2024, reaching an all time high of 3531567.00 in december of 2003 and a record low of 81153.00 in april of 2020. this page provides - bulgaria tourist arrivals - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. bulgaria tourist arrivals - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on may of 2024., tourist arrivals in bulgaria increased to 756510 in march from 698944 in february of 2024. tourist arrivals in bulgaria is expected to be 1490000.00 by the end of this quarter, according to trading economics global macro models and analysts expectations. in the long-term, the bulgaria tourist arrivals is projected to trend around 930000.00 in 2025 and 990000.00 in 2026, according to our econometric models.,   markets,   gdp,   labour,   prices,   money,   trade,   government,   business,   consumer,   housing,   taxes,   energy,   climate.

Maldives Development Update 2024

The Maldives Development Update (MDU) has two main goals. First, it takes the pulse of the Maldivian economy by providing key developments over the past 12 months. Placing these in a global context, and based on these recent developments, it analyzes the outlook over the medium term. Second, every other edition of the MDU provides a more in-depth investigation of selected economic and policy issues. It has a wide audience including policymakers, policy analysts from think tanks or non-governmental organizations, and business and financial sector professionals interested in Maldives’ economic development.

Click here to download the latest Maldives Development Update (May, 2024).

RECENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

In 2023, the number of tourist arrivals reached a record-breaking figure of 1.88 million. Nevertheless, this did not result in higher GDP growth due to lower per-tourist spending and shorter stays. The Maldivian economy is estimated to have grown by 4% in 2023. Domestic inflation, at 2.9% in 2023, remained higher than the historical average of 0.5%. Price increases were experienced in the food, education, restaurant, and lodging services sectors. Food inflation could increase poverty by 0.4 percentage points, with atolls experiencing even higher rates.

Travel export receipts fell 6.8%, while merchandise imports remained elevated at $3.5 billion. This resulted in a current account deficit of 23.4% of GDP. High import costs and external debt repayments also weighed heavily on gross reserves, which fell to $551.1 million in January 2024. Failure to implement planned subsidy reforms, combined with rising recurrent and capital spending, resulted in a sharp increase in total expenditure and a fiscal deficit of 13.2% of GDP in 2023.

Tourism, which accounts for a quarter of the Maldives' economy, has experienced slower growth in 2023 due to a decline in average duration of stay and lower tourist spending. This slowdown has exposed underlying economic vulnerabilities in the Maldives.

These vulnerabilities stem from persistent large current account and fiscal deficits. The country relies heavily on imports while having limited official reserves, creating an unsustainable imbalance. Government support for struggling state-owned enterprises (SOEs), along with blanket subsidies, high capital spending, and a public health program, further exacerbate these pressures.

While these subsidies and in-kind transfers are crucial for boosting household incomes, their unsustainable nature raises concerns. When fiscal pressures mount, the Maldivian people's well-being could be negatively impacted. Additionally, infrastructure projects, although promising long-term growth, were financed through non-concessional external borrowing and sovereign guarantees. The rising cost of borrowing abroad has forced the government to turn towards domestic sources, increasing the domestic financial sector’s vulnerability to government debt.

The government recently announced its commitment to a fiscal reform agenda to address these economic vulnerabilities. This agenda includes reforms to subsidies, SOEs, the public health insurance scheme (Aasandha), and reprioritizing capital spending. These reforms offer a path towards a more resilient Maldivian economy.

The economy is projected to grow by 4.7% over the medium-term, supported by tourism, a decrease from the pre-pandemic average of 7.4%. This growth is based on expected fiscal adjustments, including subsidy reforms and reduced public expenditure and investments. This slowdown also means slower poverty reduction in 2024.

The fiscal deficit is expected to remain high in 2024 due to ambitious spending plans .The proposed fiscal reform package is expected to help but a more sustainable fiscal path requires a larger adjustment, particularly through cuts in non-essential capital and untargeted recurrent spending.

Inflation is expected to rise due to the removal of blanket subsidies, potentially driving poverty by 2.5 percentage points. The current account deficit is expected to remain high due to commodity price pressures and capital imports for infrastructure projects. Rising external financing needs, including debt servicing, are expected to sustain pressure on foreign exchange reserves.

Major downside risks include a shock to the tourism sector, limited domestic and external financing, and a widening current account deficit. To maintain macroeconomic stability, a major fiscal adjustment and a multi-year reform plan are required, along with a targeted transfer mechanism to offset welfare losses among vulnerable groups.