Tourism Ministry: 5% increase in tourists visiting Bulgaria in current winter season y/y
A total of 937 527 tourists were registered as having visited Bulgaria between December 1 2023 and January 31 2024, an increase of five per cent compared with the period between December 1 2022 and January 31 2023, the Tourism Ministry said on February 15.
The ministry, citing data from the Unified Tourist Information System (USTI), said that the largest increase was in the number of tourists from Italy, more than 30 per cent.
There were 15 per cent more tourists from North Macedonia and six per cent more from the United Kingdom.
In January 2024, there were 30 per cent more tourists from Türkiye compared with January 2023, 15 per cent more from North Macedonia and 7.5 per cent more from the UK.
The most-visited ski resort between December 1 last year and January 31 2024 was Bansko, with 86 772 registrations of tourists, the Tourism Ministry said.
Urban destinations also were seeing significant growth in tourist numbers, the ministry said.
Sofia municipality saw 13 per cent more tourists in 2023 compared with 2022.
The largest increase in tourists was registered in Bulgaria’s Danube River city of Rousse, a 19.1 per cent increase compared with 2022.
The number of tourists visiting Plovdiv increased by 17.5 per cent, Veliko Turnovo by 16.4 per cent, Pleven by 14 per cent, Varna by 13.8 per cent, Bourgas by 12.9 per cent and Stara Zagora by 4.7 per cent.
Separately, Bulgaria’s National Statistical Institute said on February 15 that the number of visits by non-residents to Bulgaria in 2023 was up by 16 per cent compared with 2022.
(Photo: Lance Nelson of Bansko App)
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