site.btaSummer 2023 in Bulgaria: Domestic Tourism Outperforms 2019 Levels, Foreign Tourists at 90%

The Tourism Ministry has processed the latest data of the National Statistical Institute which span the period from June to September. Statistics show that in the 2023 summer season there were 4, 867, 926 bookings at accommodation places with more than 10 beds in Bulgaria. The growth of tourists is 10% from the 2022 summer season and compared with 2019 – 4.9%. Domestic tourism has outperformed 2019 levels and foreign tourists are at 90%, the Tourism Ministry said.

For the 2023 summer season the most bookings were from the following markets:

• Turkiye: 59,483 (+51.2% from 2022);
• Israel: 111,555 (+31.5%);
• Slovakia: 41,949 (+18.4%);
• Poland: 276,221 (+16.3%);
• Czechia: 138,268 (+10%);
• Germany: 199,307(+ 8%);
• Romania: 733,807 (+5.2%);
• Bulgaria: 2,344,418 (+4.8%);
• UK: 150,382 (+3.8%).

Last week Maya Nikovska, head of the Tourism Policy department with the Tourism Ministry told a roundtable that the Ministry’s outlook was 4.5 million bookings, but with data for September, the figures will be higher. In 2022, there were 4.4 million bookings.