site.btaNearly 1.27 Mln Tourists Stayed Overnight in Sofia in 2024, Up 10% YoY, Sofia Municipality Report Shows

Nearly 1,270,000 tourists stayed overnight on the territory of Sofia Municipality in 2024, which is an increase of 10% compared to 2023, according to data from a report on the implementation of the Tourism Development Programme for the territory of Sofia Municipality for 2024, which will be considered at Thursday's meeting of the Sofia Municipal Council. The report was published on the council's website on Wednesday.

The share of foreign tourists in 2024 reached 61%. Italy, Germany, Turkiye, Greece, Spain, the UK, Romania, Israel, the US and France are the leading foreign markets. Significant growth was recorded in tourist arrivals from China, Spain, Denmark, Austria and Mexico, according to the report.

Total overnight stays in 2024 are close to 2.9 million, up 10% from 2023 and significantly higher than the pre-pandemic year of 2019. Two to one is the share of foreign to Bulgarian citizens, respectively, by 67% to 33% .

In 2024, the average stay per tourist in Sofia was 2.3 days, the same as a year earlier. Revenues from overnight stays on the territory of Sofia Municipality in 2024 are just over BGN 274 million, compared to nearly BGN 157 million in 2023, which is a significant increase, the report notes. In 2024, according to the Municipal Revenues Directorate of the Metropolitan Municipality, revenues from tourist tax exceeded those of 2023 and those of 2019 and amounted to just over BGN 2.5 million.

Visits of foreign citizens to Bulgaria grew by 5% in 2024 compared to 2023, the report added.