Bulgaria Tourist Arrivals Up 6.9% in January

Tourist arrivals in Bulgaria fell by 1.2% year-on-year to 1,979.7 thousand in July 2026, following a 0.2% decline in the previous month. Visits for recreation and excursions accounted for the largest share at 51%, followed by other purposes at 43.2% and business purposes at 5.8%. Visitors from European Union countries totaled 1,077.6 thousand, or 54.4% of all arrivals, with the largest number coming from Romania at 301.2 thousand, or 28%, followed by Germany (15.2%) and Poland (10.1%). Tourists from other European countries totaled 740.7 thousand, or 37.4%, with the largest number coming from Turkey at 312.7 thousand, or 42.2% of the segment, followed by Ukraine (27.3%) and Serbia (13.7%). Elsewhere, visitors from other countries accounted for 2.2%, with Israel contributing 86.9% of the segment. Transit travelers passing through Bulgaria reached 743.1 thousand, or 37.5% of all visits by foreign citizens to the country.

Tourist arrivals in Bulgaria fell by 0.2% year-on-year to 1,424.1 thousand in June 2026, reversing a 2.4% increase in the previous month. Visits for holiday and recreation accounted for the largest share of total arrivals at 52.3%, followed by visits for other purposes at 39.7% and business and professional visits at 8.0%. Visitors from European Union countries totaled 812.8 thousand, representing 57.1% of all arrivals, with Romania (30.3%) remaining the leading source of visits. Meanwhile, tourists from other European countries accounted for 36.9%, or 525.6 thousand arrivals, led by Turkey, which represented 46.1% or 242.2 thousand of these visits. Transit travelers passing through Bulgaria reached 420.7 thousand during the month, accounting for 29.5% of all visits by foreign citizens.

Tourist arrivals in Bulgaria rose by 2.4% year-on-year to an eight-month high of 1,021.8 thousand in May 2026, rebounding from a 1.4% decline in the previous month. Holiday and leisure travel accounted for the largest share of arrivals at 41.8%, followed by visits for other purposes (43.9%), while business and professional trips represented 14.2%. Visitors from European Union countries totaled 618.7 thousand, or 60.5% of all arrivals, with Romania (41.2%), Greece (23.7%), and Germany (10.4%) remaining the leading source markets. Tourists from other European countries accounted for 33.5% of arrivals, led by Turkey (55.8%) and Serbia (13.9%). Elsewhere, visitors from other countries made up 1.5% of the total, with Israel contributing 68.3% of that segment. Transit travelers passing through Bulgaria reached 307.9 thousand, representing 30.1% of all non-resident visits during the month.