site.btaGrowth in Bulgarian Residents' Trips Abroad Outpaces Visits by Non-residents to Bulgaria in April Y/Y

In April 2025, the trips of Bulgarian residents abroad totalled 779,300, up by 10.1% from a year earlier, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said on Thursday. Trips for all reported purposes increased.

In April 2025, the visits of non-residents to Bulgaria stood at 797,800, an increase of 0.6% from a year earlier. Trips for holiday and recreation purposes increased by 7.1%, while those for professional reasons rose by 0.9%. In contrast, trips for other purposes declined by 3.8%. Transit crossings through the country accounted for 31.0% (246,900) of all visits by non-residents to Bulgaria.

The most popular travel destinations for Bulgarian residents in April 2025 were: Turkiye (220,200 trips), Greece (161,300), Romania (77,100), Serbia (55,400), Germany (38,800), North Macedonia (36,900), Italy (29,400), Austria (24,900), France (21,300) and Spain (19,600). A year earlier, the top three destinations preferred by Bulgarian residents were Turkiye (195,000 trips), Greece (149,400) and Romania (58,300).

In April 2025, the biggest number of visits to Bulgaria were made by residents of: Turkiye (179,700 visits), Romania (178,200), Greece (131,300), Serbia (53,200), Germany (31,100), North Macedonia (30,500), Ukraine (20,900), Israel (14,800), Italy (13,200) and the United Kingdom (12,100). A year earlier, the top three countries of origin for visitors to Bulgaria were Romania (170,400 visits), Turkiye (168,600) and Greece (113,800), NSI said.