Increase In Travel To Bulgaria And The Main Reason: Transit

In December 2023, travel to and from Bulgaria increased compared to the same month in the previous year, according to data from the National Statistical Institute. The number trips of Bulgarians abroad for this month has reached 649.1 thousand, increasing by 7.3% compared to December 2022. An increase was reported in all categories of travel, including leisure and excursions, business, and other purposes.

The most visited destinations by Bulgarians are: Turkey (173.7 K trips), Greece (119.1 K), Romania (62.5 K), Serbia (59.4 K), Germany (42.1 K), North Macedonia (25.7 K), Austria (21.9 K), Italy (20.6 K), the United Kingdom (18.8K), and Spain (13.4 K).

The majority of Bulgarian travels abroad include purposes such as: visiting, education, and participation in cultural and sports events - 44.8% of the total share, followed by travels for leisure and excursions 33.5%, while those for business purposes account for 21.7%.

During the same month, visits by foreign citizens to Bulgaria reached 785.4 K, increasing by 3.1% compared to the previous year. There is a growth observed in tourism for leisure and excursions by 6.6% and other purposes by 2.3%, while business visits decreased by 0.7%. Transit passages through the country account for 36.5% (286.5 K) of all visits by foreigners to Bulgaria.

The majority of visits to Bulgaria have been made by citizens from Turkey (162 K) Romania (158.3 K), Greece (126.1 K), Ukraine (52.3 K), Serbia (42.3 K), Germany (34.5 K), North Macedonia (34.3 K), Italy (22.2 K), the United Kingdom (15.7 K), and Austria (12.8 K). Most of the visits are for other purposes - 57.3%, followed by visits for leisure and excursions - 29%, and business purposes - 13.7%.