site.btaBulgarians' Tourism and Business Travel Spending Exceeds BGN 4 Bln in 2024

In 2024, Bulgarian citizens and companies spent BGN 4,045,622,000 on tourism and business trips, according to the latest data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI).

Personal travel expenses amounted to BGN 3,893,668,000, including BGN 640,828,000 spent on travel packages. Employers in Bulgaria spent BGN 151,954,000 on business trips.

The NSI conducted its survey through a questionnaire among individuals who have been living in Bulgaria for more than 15 years.

Of the total spending, BGN 2,221,504,000 went towards tourism and business trips within Bulgaria, while BGN 1,824,118,000 was spent on travel abroad.

Travel-related expenses within Bulgaria increased by 18.8% in 2024 compared to 2023, when they totalled BGN 3,405,982,000. In 2022, when some COVID-19 restrictions were still in place, Bulgarian citizens and companies spent BGN 2,742,950,000 on tourism and business trips.

By comparison, in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism and business travel spending stood at BGN 2,089,994,000, NSI data show. The lowest recorded spending in the past five years occurred in 2020, when lockdown measures were imposed, nearly halting all tourism-related activities.