site.btaBulgarians’ Holidays Abroad in 2026: Longer, Farther, Ideally on a Cruise

Discounts of 10–15% on package holidays abroad traditionally kick off the season again this year. The early booking discount period started at the end of 2025 and falls within the usual range. This policy is typically applied to holidays in Turkiye and Greece, Pavlina Ilieva, Chair of the Future for Tourism Association, said in a BTA interview, ahead of Holiday & SPA Expo 2026, which will bring together exhibitors from several continents from February 12 to 14 at Sofia’s Inter Expo Center.

Ilieva said that the prices of package holidays vary widely, depending on the destination, duration, transportation, raw materials, goods, and are influenced by taxes and fees imposed by local authorities. As a result of all these factors, an increase of approximately 9–10% in package holiday prices in 2026 can be expected.

Where we will travel this year

According to Pavlina Ilieva, this year Bulgarians will likely choose longer and more distant trips. Slowly but steadily, the average income of Bulgarians has approached that of Portugal and Greece; in this way, our country has caught up to with the standard of some European nations, and it is natural that our preferences are becoming larger and more expensive.

The traditional destinations for the Bulgarian market are Turkiye, Greece, Egypt, Tunisia, Italy, and Spain. “I have always stressed that Bulgarians are curious and open to new challenges. New horizons are opening up for them — the Far East, the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka, Australia, and the Persian Gulf, in particular Qatar and Oman, thanks to the emirates’ policy of attracting tourists. Throughout the year, European countries remain a traditional destination for Bulgarians,” Ilieva added.

New destinations

According to Ilieva, this year Bulgarian tourists are not so much focused on entirely new destinations, but rather on a type of travel experience that, before the COVID-19 pandemic, was extremely exotic and has now become a top preference and is rapidly gaining popularity — the cruise holiday. “We are observing an exceptionally large increase in the number of people choosing this form of travel. Cruises offer the opportunity to visit an incredible number of new places within a single trip. This type of tourism is very convenient because you only need to settle in once, yet each day you are in a different country,” Ilieva commented.

According to her, the popularity of cruises is rising due to higher incomes among Bulgarians and the comparable cost to land-based holiday packages. The interest of Bulgarians in this type of experience aligns with the preferences of European travelers. Globally, the cruise industry is growing by over 34%, and 72% of travelers choose cruises as their preferred way to travel and often repeat the experience.

Moreover, the cruise industry is investing in new luxury ships and exciting routes, offering incredible opportunities to visit remarkable places such as the Caribbean islands, with 5–6 islands often included in a single trip, Ilieva said. She noted that no other travel product competes with cruises in terms of price and quality, and highlighted that service on a cruise ship is of an exceptionally high standard. “This is the new trend in the market over the past two years,” Ilieva concluded.

The final month before the Eurozone

December was full of offers on the market, ranging from Northern Lapland to Southern Egypt and Tunisia, commented Ilieva of Bulgarians’ travel options and interests for celebrating the winter holidays in the final month before joining the Eurozone. According to Ilieva, Turkiye remains a favorite destination for Bulgarians for several reasons, one of which is the country’s consistent and clear policy to attract tourists. Istanbul and Antalya are traditional spots for New Year celebrations, along with neighboring Greece and Serbia. The market was also filled with offers for European Christmas markets. Overall, the choice of destinations is becoming more colorful and abundant each year, she summarized.

She highlighted that Bulgaria’s accession to the Eurozone is good news for both inbound and outbound tourism. For all Bulgarians traveling abroad, adopting the euro is a positive development. It means the end of currency exchange losses due to conversion rates, and travellers outside Europe will now carry the world’s second most convertible currency, the euro, in their pockets. “What could be better than being able to pay without worry anywhere in the world?” she said.

2026 spring and summer prospects

With the arrival of spring comes a series of holidays, March 3rd, March 8th, the First Day of Spring, spring break, and Easter, a sequence of festive days during which Bulgarians love to travel. “There are an incredible number of options - from the traditional nearby neighboring countries, through European destinations, charter programmes to Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and even farther to Dubai, Qatar, Oman, all the way to Zanzibar, Japan, Singapore, Bali, Vietnam, and Cambodia, where the high season begins in April,” said Pavlina Ilieva.

According to her, beyond the traditional destinations, Bulgarians this summer season will focus on Palma de Mallorca (Balearic Islands), Tenerife (Canary Islands), Sardinia, and the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea. Of course, the tradition of seaside holidays in Greece and Turkiye remains, as well as our own Bulgarian seaside. “With the increasing quality of our domestic resorts, more and more Bulgarians are choosing the Bulgarian Black Sea coast,” said Pavlina Ilieva.

Who chooses package holidays in Bulgaria and why

Typically, Bulgarians who prefer organized package holidays are middle-aged people with good incomes and with secondary or higher education. Many seniors also travel this way, for whom comfort and safety are of primary importance. Stays usually last from 7 to 15 days, and, of course, travellers make additional expenses at local restaurants to try traditional food, visit extra tourist sites, and engage with local communities. On average, travellers are willing to spend an additional 7–10% to explore and experience the new destination.

The Tourism Guarantee Fund

This week, Parliament approved at first reading amendments to the Tourism Act, which regulate the establishment of a Tourism Guarantee Fund (TGF). The bill had been postponed for years and was first discussed by the parliamentary committee last September. “If the authorities had the will to create the Tourism Guarantee Fund, there would have been no delay,” commented Ilieva.

She said that any delay in establishing the Fund continues to carry the risk of clients’ funds not being secured, leaving everything to the operator’s ethics and the trust between the operator and the client. She noted that tour operators in Bulgaria have always been stable and responsible. “Even during the pandemic, no one irresponsibly declared bankruptcy and left clients without their funds. The tour operator and travel agent are professions like any other, and like everyone else involved in economic activity, they work for money, support employees, and pay taxes,” commented Ilieva, adding that the industry deserves recognition.

On new “old” expectations

Once again, the industry will likely be working with a new minister following the upcoming parliamentary elections in Bulgaria. “We very much hope that this will be someone familiar with the specifics of the industry. We hope they are ready for partnership, will listen to the signals the industry sends, and have the strength, courage, and consistency to achieve the goals we all set - namely, for Bulgaria to maintain its position as a recognized and attractive tourist destination,” Ilieva said.

For the sector, it is important that the new minister in the regular cabinet understands the responsibility they are taking on and is able to uphold it. The challenges awaiting them from the tour operator and travel agent industry include the Tourism Guarantee Fund and the gray economy, which exists at an unimaginably large scale. “The new minister must be ready to work within tight deadlines, because with all these problems, we are already behind schedule,” said Pavlina Ilieva.