site.btaForeign Tourists Prefer Low-Cost Flights to Reach Bulgaria

Foreign Tourists Prefer Low-Cost Flights to Reach Bulgaria

Sofia, February 16 (BTA) - Low-cost air travel has an increasing significance to Bulgarian tourism, accounting for 56 per cent of all foreigner visits (4.6 million people), caretaker Tourism Minister Stela Baltova said here on Thursday. She was speaking at a forum on the role of low-cost airlines on tourist services demand within the Holiday & Spa Tourist Fair.

The invasion of low-cost airlines is among the factors which drive tourism, and Bulgaria wants to remain a safe destination.

In Europe, low-cost airlines carry nearly one third of passengers, outstripping Asia and North America in this respect. According to Eurobarometer data for 2015, some 39 per cent of EU citizens who did not travel cited financial worries. "By reducing the cost of flying, low-cost airlines enable more people to travel as tourists and the money so said can be spent on longer stays or more expensive tourist services," said Baltova, noting that this may leave tourists more satisfied.

"Low-cost flights are a convenient alternative to road and rail transport for medium-distance markets, and they have a more important role to short-stay travel, as travel costs account for a larger share in overall costs," the Minister said.