site.btaUPDATED Summer Tourist Numbers Up by 10% on 2022

National Statistical Institute data for June-September 2023 show tourist numbers increased by 10% from 2022 and by 4.9% from 2019, the strongest pre-pandemic year, Prof Mariela Modeva, advisor to the Tourism Minister, told reporters on Wednesday. She took part in the 9th meeting between the tourism industry and local government.

The November 22-24 forum is organized by the Association of Bulgarian Tour Operators and Travel Agents (ABTTA).

Modeva said domestic tourism had topped these levels and inbound tourism had recovered to 90% of the 2019 level. Compared to 2019, there was a decrease in tourists from Germany and the UK. "We believe that the forecasts for a good summer season with more than 4.8 million tourists were met," she said.

The focus is on expanding the tourist season. Advertising campaigns are promoting specialized forms, including cultural, SPA, health, adventure and convention tourism, which attract tourists round the year. Regarding the winter season, even if it starts late, the resorts are prepared with snow machines. "Our task is to monitor the situation with Israeli tourists. At present, reservations are not being cancelled in large numbers," Modeva said.

Museums and cultural institutions registered 4 million visits in 2022, 50% more than in the pandemic year 2020, Deputy Tourism Minister Amelia Gesheva said. A single national cultural calendar is under preparation, which will also feature Bulgarian cultural events abroad.

Plovdiv earned BGN 33 million in revenues from nights spent in January-September 2023, said Deputy Mayor Plamen Panov, who is responsible for culture. With 492,315 nights spent, the city recorded 30% growth from 2022.

On Wednesday, the meeting focused on investments in a sustainable future. A concert by Opera Plovdiv at the Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis is scheduled for the evening.

The participants in the three-day meeting will discuss modern and sustainable tourism development. Best practices and challenges facing Bulgarian tourism, the role of the cultural heritage as a tourism resource and its contribution to the local economy will be on the agenda.

There will be presentations of the tourism potential of the towns of Pomorie, Lovech, Sandanski, Chirpan, Sapareva Banya and Bansko and the Organization for Management of the Stara Planina Tourist Region. B2B meetings will provide a platform for negotiations between tour operators, representatives of municipalities and local businesses.