Bulgaria is among the European countries benefiting from the continued expansion of the short-term rental market, as bookings through platforms such as Airbnb, Booking, and Expedia maintained strong growth across the European Union during the first quarter of 2026.
According to the latest figures, travelers booked a total of 144.3 million overnight stays through the three major online accommodation platforms across the EU between January and March. That represents a 9.7% increase compared with the same period in 2025, highlighting the sustained rise of platform-based tourism across the bloc.
Growth was recorded in every EU member state, indicating that demand for short-term accommodations continues to strengthen throughout Europe. The figures suggest that the sector is no longer limited to seasonal peaks but has developed into a steadily expanding part of the tourism industry.
The fastest increases were registered in Malta, where overnight stays climbed by 30.5%, followed by Slovenia with 24.7%, Slovakia with 23.5%, and Cyprus with 22.3%. Double-digit growth was also reported in Finland, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Croatia, Greece, Germany, and Italy.
The EU's largest tourism markets also continued to expand. Germany and Italy each posted growth of nearly 15%, while France and Spain recorded more moderate but still positive increases, reinforcing the strong demand across the continent's most popular travel destinations.
