Bulgaria ranked among the European Union's most seasonal tourism markets in 2025, with nearly half of its annual tourist activity concentrated in the height of summer. According to Eurostat data, 43% of all overnight stays in Bulgarian accommodation facilities were recorded in July and August, placing the country second in the EU behind Croatia, where the figure reached 55%.
The figures highlight Bulgaria's strong reliance on the summer season, particularly seaside tourism, making it one of the bloc's most season-dependent destinations. Greece follows closely behind with 42% of its annual overnight stays taking place during the same two months, while the EU average stands at 31%.
The data illustrate how tourism in Bulgaria is heavily concentrated during the peak vacation period. As a result, hotels, transport networks, tourist attractions and staffing face their greatest pressure in the summer, while visitor numbers fall considerably throughout the rest of the year.
Croatia continues to lead the EU in measures of tourism seasonality. According to the Gini coefficient, which measures how unevenly overnight stays are distributed across the calendar year, Croatia recorded a score of 0.59, well above the EU average of 0.25. Greece ranked second with 0.49, while Bulgaria followed with 0.39, confirming that all three countries experience substantial seasonal swings in tourism demand.
