site.btaBulgarians' Private Trips Costs Average BGN 274.57 in Bulgaria, BGN 733.68 Abroad in Q1 2025 - Statistics

In the first quarter of 2025, the average cost of a private trip per person was BGN 274.57 for travel within Bulgaria and BGN 733.68 for travel abroad. For business trips, the average cost was BGN 255.34 domestically and BGN 1,211.97 internationally, according to preliminary data released by the National Statistical Institute on Wednesday.

By comparison, during the same period in 2024, private trips cost an average of BGN 272.82 in Bulgaria and BGN 717.48 abroad, while business trips cost BGN 250.63 domestically and BGN 1,208.86 internationally.

In the first quarter of 2025, food accounted for the largest share of travel expenses, both at home and abroad - 35.3% and 31.5% respectively. A year earlier, those figures stood at 36.9% and 32.2%.

A total of 1.1 million Bulgarians made tourist trips in the first quarter of 2025. Most of them, 75.7%, travelled only within Bulgaria, while 20% travelled only abroad and 4.3% travelled both domestically and internationally. Compared to the same quarter in 2024, this marks a 1.2% increase in the number of travellers.

In the first quarter of 2024, 1,068,500 Bulgarians travelled, with 74.9% staying within the country, 19.5% going abroad, and 5.6% travelling both domestically and internationally. Compared to the same quarter of 2023, this was a 5.7% year-on-year increase.

In the first quarter of 2025, most tourist trips in the country (48.8%) and abroad (70.6%) were for holidays and recreation. In the first quarter of 2024, the shares were slightly different: 54% for domestic travel and 67.3% for travel abroad.

A total of 1.2 million, or 87.3% of all private tourist trips, were independent travellers who made their own travel arrangements. Among those, 92.1% of domestic trips and 67.7% of trips abroad were made without prior booking. A year earlier, 1,387,500, or 88.2%, of private trips were solo, with 94.8% of domestic and 58.2% of international travel unbooked in advance.