site.btaBulgarian, Greek Tourists Return to Edirne for Shopping in September

Bulgarians and Greeks have started to return to Edirne for shopping in September as congestion at Turkiye’s border crossings with Bulgaria and Greece has decreased, said Edirne Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Sezai Irmak, quoted by the Haberler news website.

A significant increase in the number of tourists from Turkiye's two neighbours has been observed since mid-September, Irmak noted. 

In his words, traffic across the border has decreased because the summer holidays of Turks living in Western Europe have ended. At present, the number of shoppers arriving in Edirne is just as large as before. Many of them shop in the city's markets.

Irmak said that Bulgarians and Greeks largely supported Edirne's economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the economy is sustained again by tourists from the two countries and by students. With the start of the new academic year, around 35,000-40,000 students are coming to the country, he added.