site.btaH1 Tourist Arrivals in Sofia Up by 12% Y/Y

Tourist arrivals in Sofia in the first half of 2024 increased by 12% from a year earlier to 580,000, the Tourism Ministry's Unified Tourist Information System said as quoted by City Hall.

The nights spent in the first half of 2024 topped 1.3 million, up by 10% from a year earlier.

The top five countries generating the most visits are Italy, Germany, Greece, Britain and Turkiye, said Anton Penev, Director of the Tourism Municipal Company. Sofia also attracted tourists from Spain, Israel, Romania, the US, China, Canada and Australia. International arrivals accounted for nearly 60% of all tourists.

The average stay was slightly over 2.2 days, with 80% of tourists staying in 3-, 4- and 5-star hotels. 

In 2023, Sofia Municipality reported an increase in tourist numbers from 2022, with international arrivals again surpassing local tourists.

In April 2024, the Tourism Ministry posted over 1.8 million tourist check-ins in Bulgaria between December 1, 2023 and March 25, 2024.