Bulgarians made more trips abroad in July 2026, while the number of foreign visitors to Bulgaria declined slightly compared with the same month last year, according to preliminary data from the National Statistical Institute.
A total of 1,037,700 trips by Bulgarian citizens abroad were recorded in July, an increase of 3.1% from July 2025. Travel for vacations and excursions rose by 4.2%, while trips for other purposes increased by 4%. Business travel, however, fell by 2.4%.
At the same time, visits by foreign citizens to Bulgaria totaled 1,979,700, down 1.2% year-on-year. The number of visits for vacations and excursions decreased by 2.7%, while business trips increased by 1.7% and visits for other purposes edged up by 0.1%.
Transit continued to account for a substantial share of foreign traffic through Bulgaria. In July, 743,100 visits, or 37.5% of all foreign visits, were transit trips.
The latest figures follow another strong increase in international travel by Bulgarians recorded in July 2025. At that time, 1,006,300 Bulgarian trips abroad were registered, 16.8% more than in July 2024, with increases recorded across all monitored purposes.
