Bulgaria Tourist Arrivals Down 0.2% in June

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.

Tourist arrivals in Bulgaria fell by 1.4% year-on-year to 786.5 thousand in April 2026, reversing a 0.5% increase in the previous month. This marked the first annual contraction in tourist arrivals since June 2025, as trips for other purposes declined by 4.8%, while professional visits fell by 1.3%, whereas holiday and recreation travel increased by 3.2%. EU citizens accounted for 55.4% of total arrivals, or 435.6 thousand, with the largest shares coming from Romania (41.2%) and Greece (30.8%). Meanwhile, visitors from other European countries made up 38.5%, or 303 thousand, led by Turkey at 60.2% of that group, or 182.5 thousand. In addition, transit passes accounted for 30.8% of all non-resident visits to Bulgaria, or 242.6 thousand.