site.btaHotel Overnights Spent by Tourists in Sofia Increase

Hotel Overnights Spent by Tourists in Sofia Increase

Sofia, June 28 (BTA) - Hotel overnights spent by tourists in Sofia between January and May 2016 increased by 7 per cent compared with January to May 2015, Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova said on Tuesday, citing City Hall data. Fandakova and Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelkova attended a conference which discussed Sofia as a sustainable tourist destination and the role of the news media.

In 2015 compared with 2014, hotel overnights spent by tourists in the Bulgarian capital rose by 8 per cent, Fandakova further said. Accommodation alone generated 116 million leva in revenues over the year. Sofia was visited by 916,000 tourists in 2015. The Mayor said City Hall aspires to turn the capital into a major tourist destination and encourage people to visit it specifically.

She drew attention to the investments which the local government has made in urban infrastructure and in displaying cultural and historical heritage. She noted that the city's underground railway was expanded last year to link the central parts with the airport and the main railway station. Money has been invested in new museums and heritage display projects. But the presentation of Sofia's potential leaves something to be desired, Fandakova said.