The number of tourists visiting Bulgaria this summer is increasing, but the growth is not concentrated in the traditional seaside destinations. According to Rumen Draganov, director of the Institute for Analysis and Assessment in Tourism, tourist arrivals in the country have risen by around 2%, with the biggest interest currently focused on Sofia and Plovdiv.
Draganov noted that the strongest periods for Bulgarian tourism are increasingly moving beyond the peak summer months and away from the Black Sea resorts. He pointed to January as an example, when Bulgaria welcomed around 800,000 visitors, twice as many as in previous years.
According to the tourism expert, the increase during the winter period is linked to the expansion of low-cost airline connections with European cities, as well as the development of different types of tourism beyond the traditional summer holiday model.
The trend is also reflected in occupancy rates at seaside resorts. Ivelin Kichukov, chairman of the Bulgarian Tourist Association, said that during weekdays, particularly from Monday to Thursday, hotels on the coast are operating at around 50-60% occupancy.
This represents a decline of approximately 15-20% compared with the same period last year. However, Kichukov expects the situation to improve in the coming week, with demand traditionally increasing during the busiest weekend days.
