site.bta31.1 Per Cent More Bulgarians Made Inland Tourist Trips in Second Quarter of 2017

Sofia, August 22 (BTA) - In the second quarter of 2017, 1,149,800 Bulgarian residents made tourist trips, according to preliminary figures released by the National Statistical Institute on Tuesday.

The majority (83.6 per cent) of them travelled only inland, 13.5 per cent travelled only abroad, and 2.9 per cent travelled both domestically and internationally. Compared to the same quarter of 2016, the total number of persons aged 15 and over who travelled increased by 26.5 per cent, with the number of Bulgarian residents who travelled inland only rising by 31.1 per cent, those who travelled only abroad by 8.9 per cent, and those who travelled both domestically and internationally by 0.3 per cent.

In the second quarter of 2017, most tourist trips (43.5 per cent) were made by Bulgarians aged 25-44. The share of inland trips predominated in all age groups, in the country, and this share was the largest for persons aged 65 and over: 86.8 per cent of those who travelled in that age group. The share of residents aged 45-64 was the largest for trips abroad: 16.5 per cent of those who travelled in that age group.

The majority of tourist trips made by persons aged 15 and over both inland and abroad were for holiday and recreation (45.0 per cent and 71.4 per cent, respectively).

In the second quarter of 2017, 1,577,700 or 89.3 per cent of the total number of private tourist trips were registered as independent. The share of independent trips without booking was 93.9 per cent domestic and 55.8 per cent international.

In the structure of spending by type, spending on food took up the largest share in domestic trips, 38.2 per cent, while spending on transport was the largest cost item in outbound trips, 32.9 per cent.

In the second quarter of 2017, a person aged 15 and over spent an average 183.41 leva on a private domestic trip and 497.67 leva on a private international trip. During the same period, the average expenditure per person for a professional trip was 154.76 leva for a domestic trip and 1,099.35 leva for an outbound trip.