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International tourism, number of arrivals - Bulgaria

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Encyclopedia of Tourism pp 1–2 Cite as

Bulgaria Tourism

• Stanislav Ivanov 3  
• Living reference work entry
• Later version available View entry history
• First Online: 22 February 2022

Bulgaria is located on the Balkan Peninsula bordering Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, and the Black Sea. With a territory of 110,879 km 2 (42,829 mi 2 ) and population of 6.951 million (2019), it is one of the mid-sized countries in the world (Fig. 1 ). In 2019, its GDP was US$68.6 billion (National Statistics Institute 2021 ).

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Ministry of Education and Science. 2021. Number of students and PhD students by degree level and program. https://stats.mon.bg/Reports/Index/745a6b79-dd8a-4008-846a-486015f9fa8b . Accessed 24 Jan 2021.

Ministry of Tourism. 2021. Registry of tour operators and travel agents. https://ntr.tourism.government.bg/Registration.nsf/alltato.xsp . Accessed 24 Jan 2021.

National Statistics Institute. 2020a. Arrivals of visitors from abroad to Bulgaria 2008–2020. https://infostat.nsi.bg/infostat/pages/reports/result.jsf?x_2=203 . Accessed 24 Jan 2021.

———. 2020b. Accommodation establishments by statistical zones, statistical regions and by districts in 2019. https://www.nsi.bg/en/content/7067/annual-data . Accessed 24 Jan 2021.

———. 2021. GDP by production approach – Total of economy. https://www.nsi.bg/en/content/5484/gdp-production-approach-%E2%80%93-total-economy . Accessed 6 Apr 2021.

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Varna University of Management, Varna, Bulgaria

Stanislav Ivanov

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Correspondence to Stanislav Ivanov .

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School of Hospitality Leadership, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI, USA

Jafar Jafari

School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Honggen Xiao

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University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

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Ivanov, S. (2021). Bulgaria Tourism. In: Jafari, J., Xiao, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Tourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_345-2

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_345-2

Received : 24 January 2021

Accepted : 08 April 2021

Published : 22 February 2022

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_345-3

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_345-2

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_345-1

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Bulgaria Visitor Arrivals

• Bulgaria Visitor Arrivals recorded 785,446 person in Dec 2023, compared with 694,390 person in the previous month
• Bulgaria Visitor Arrivals data is updated monthly, available from Jan 2002 to Dec 2023
• The data reached an all-time high of 2,325,187 person in Aug 2019 and a record low of 81,153 person in Apr 2020

View Bulgaria's Visitor Arrivals from Jan 2002 to Dec 2023 in the chart:

What was Bulgaria's Visitor Arrivals in Dec 2023?

Bulgaria Visitor Arrivals recorded 785,446 person in Dec 2023, compared with 694,390 person in the previous month See the table below for more data.

Visitor Arrivals by Country Comparison

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Bulgaria Tourist Arrivals

The number of tourist arrivals in bulgaria increased by 15.6% year-on-year to 698.944 thousand in february 2024, following a 4.1% growth in the previous month. the majority of visits to bulgaria were for other purposes (47.2%), followed by holiday & recreation (39.1%) and professional trips (13.7%). eu residents accounted for 46.2% of total trips, with romania (43.3%) being the largest contributor, followed by greece (26%). meanwhile, arrivals from other european countries accounted for 44.7%, mainly coming from turkey (46.4%). source: national statistical institute of bulgaria, tourist arrivals in bulgaria decreased to 698944 in february from 741267 in january of 2024. tourist arrivals in bulgaria averaged 839037.03 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 april of 2024., tourist arrivals in bulgaria decreased to 698944 in february from 741267 in january of 2024. tourist arrivals in bulgaria is expected to be 730000.00 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,   health,   climate.

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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Tourism balance over GDP in Bulgaria 2010-2021

Tourism balance over gross domestic product (gdp) in bulgaria from 2010 to 2021.

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October 2022

2010 to 2021

Tourism balance refers to inbound minus outbound tourism expenditure.

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