site.bta1.8 Mln-Plus Tourist Check-ins from Dec. 1, 2023 to March 25, 2024

The number of tourist check-ins in Bulgaria for the period December 1, 2023, to March 25, 2024 exceeded 1.8 million, the Ministry of Tourism said. The most significant increase (29.1%) for this period, compared to the same time last winter season, was registered in Turkish guests to this country.

The number of Italian tourists, who are mainly interested in urban tourism in Sofia, went up by 18.7%. Domestic tourists grew by 3%. Visits from the UK increased by 1%, from the Republic of North Macedonia by 4.6%, from Germany by 9.7%, and from Serbia by 10.7%.

There were fewer tourists from Romania and Greece in the past winter tourist season, but the most dramatic decline, of 62.6%, was recorded in Israeli tourists.

From the beginning of December 2023 to March 25, 2024, the most popular destination with 329,000 tourists registered was Sofia Municipality, followed by the municipalities of Bansko, Velingrad, Samokov, Smolyan, Chepelare, and Varna.

Bansko was the most visited among Bulgaria’s ski resorts. It is followed by Samokov (including Borovets), Smolyan, and Chepelare. The largest number of bookings in all of them were made by domestic tourists.

Urban, cultural, and business tourism were especially important in this winter season. A total of seven municipalities - Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Ruse, and Stara Zagora - attracted nearly 35% of all tourists, according to the latest winter season data.