site.btaUPDATED Bulgaria between Elite Tourism Zones and Health Vacation Vouchers

Bulgaria’s future entry into the Eurozone is expected to create zones for elite tourism in the country. Forecasts suggest that such zones could form around the yacht ports in the seaside resorts of Sveti Vlas and Sozopol, as well as in the Sts. Constantine and Helena resort. However, there are no closed-off zones in tourism, and these resorts are not expected to turn into exclusive areas where Bulgarians with average or lower incomes would only be visitors, Rumen Draganov, Director of the Institute for Analyses and Assessment in Tourism, told BTA in a comment regarding the upcoming 41st edition of the International Tourism Fair HOLIDAY & SPA EXPO, which will be held in Sofia from March 9 to 11.

Draganov warns that at the same time, the state must take care of vacations for Bulgarian pensioners in the form of preventive healthcare stays, which would significantly reduce the burden on Bulgaria’s healthcare system. To achieve this, an annual budget of around BGN 200 million is needed for health prevention vouchers under the Young at Heart programme, similar to existing initiatives in Italy, Spain, and Greece.

Instead of providing pension supplements, these funds could be allocated to seniors not as cash to be spent on Chinese toys for their grandchildren or lamb for the holidays, but specifically for preventive health vacations in the mountains and by the sea, Draganov commented. Likewise, student travel related to educational programmes should be encouraged between September and May, similar to practices in the UK and Germany.

Bulgaria Moves Toward Sustainable Growth in Tourism

Recent data on Bulgaria’s winter season show that it has been highly successful, Draganov noted, adding that the snowy winter has contributed to the full capacity of winter resorts, which have been operating continuously since December.

Beyond skiing, Bulgaria continues to attract visitors for cultural tourism in historical urban settings, health tourism, visits to family and friends, as well as business tourism. "Overall, we are seeing growth in December, January, and February regarding foreign tourists, and the expectation is that between December and April, their number will reach around 3.2 million," Draganov said. He added that growth rates are currently around 3-4% compared to the same period last winter season. This winter season is expected to enter a phase of so-called sustainability, meaning slower growth compared to the double-digit increases seen in the past two years compared to pre-pandemic 2019.

The highest number of tourist visits to Bulgaria this winter are expected from Romania, followed by a significant number from Turkiye and Greece. Since Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen Area, particularly in January 2025, there has been a surge in travel, mainly out of curiosity, Draganov explained.

Domestic travel among Bulgarians is also increasing, while trips abroad have grown by 11%. It is expected that visits by Bulgarians to domestic winter resorts will reach around 620,000 by the end of the season. At the same time, there is a high intensity of travel to Bulgaria’s spa and wellness resorts, with over 90,000 trips recorded for this purpose at the end of each week. Travel to visit family and friends, as well as trips for traditional Kukeri festivals and Bulgaria’s national holiday on March 3, have also been particularly intense.

Early Summer Bookings

There is a noticeable increase in early bookings for summer vacations in Bulgaria for 2025 from foreign visitors, Draganov noted. He attributed this to intensive promotional campaigns by the Tourism Ministry in collaboration with various Bulgarian organizations, including Fraport, and the continuation of last year’s programme to boost the German, UK, and Polish markets. The results show around a 20% increase in early bookings, with expectations for further acceleration after the Berlin tourism fair, Draganov said. According to him, 2025 should see a stabilization in travel numbers, especially from Germany, surpassing 2019 levels. There will be a strong presence of guests from Poland and the UK, but 2025 will be the year of the German market, which is expected to exceed its 2019 summer levels when a total of 980,000 German tourists visited Bulgaria.

The psychology of Bulgarian travellers explains why early summer bookings are not seeing similar growth, Draganov said. Traditionally, Bulgarians make travel decisions right before departure. "At the end of this weekend, many Bulgarians still do not know if they will be traveling the next, while the British have already planned a year in advance that they would be in Austria, Germany, or even Bulgaria that same weekend,” he explained.

However, when it comes to high-quality tourism products—villas, guesthouses, small family hotels with scenic views, and luxury apartments—there is a growing trend among Bulgarians to make reservations a year in advance. Regarding seaside vacations, Draganov noted that they are no longer a once-a-year event, as people now go to the beach more than three times annually. However, decisions for such trips are still made at a later stage.

Prices

"A vacation is not expected to be more expensive this summer – we’ll likely need the same budget as last year," Draganov believes. He pointed out that, unlike grocery store prices, hotels – especially all-inclusive ones that source their own meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables – have the ability to maintain competitive rates. This is why all-inclusive vacations remain the most preferred choice among Bulgarians and are also the fastest to sell out.

Another factor keeping vacation prices stable this summer is oversupply – there are 1.5 million beds available, with an occupancy rate of over 62%, Draganov said. He emphasized that competition makes significant price deviations impossible, except in cases where hotels upgrade their rating.

Draganov noted that in 2024, a significant number of Bulgarian hotels upgraded from three-star to four- or five-star categories, requiring additional investment from hoteliers, which in turn leads to higher prices.

Bulgaria’s Southern Black Sea Coast continues to be a top choice for families with children, particularly in Pomorie, Burgas, Sozopol, Primorsko, Kiten, Tsarevo, Ahtopol, and Sinemorets. These destinations are trusted by vacationers, who return year after year.

HOLIDAY & SPA EXPO

The 41st edition of the International Tourism Fair HOLIDAY & SPA EXPO will take place at the Inter Expo Center in Sofia, bringing together 240 exhibitors from three continents. Forty-five percent of participating companies are international. The event will be unveiled by Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh at 11 a.m. on March 9, according to the Tourism Ministry.

The forum, organized by Inter Expo Center with the support of the Tourism Ministry, gathers all segments of the tourism industry and related sectors. In addition to Bulgarian companies, exhibitors from India, China, Tanzania, Algeria, Vietnam, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Russia, Egypt, Mauritius, Serbia, Greece, France, Spain, Romania, Turkiye, and Finland will participate.

For the first time, HOLIDAY & SPA EXPO will feature a Digital Box Zone, bringing together marketing, branding, and online advertising firms, among others, in the tourism and hospitality industries, according to Inter Expo Center.

A special ticket for the first day, March 9, will allow a wide audience with business and personal interests in tourism and travel services to benefit from networking opportunities. The ticket is free but valid only for the first day, the organizers said.

On March 9, the event will also host the Spring Retro Car Show, organized in partnership with the Sofia Retro Auto Club.