site.btaBulgarian Tourism Sector Reports 5.8% Growth Y/Y

The tourism sector reports a 5.8% growth in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to final data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI), presented by the outgoing Minister of Tourism, Miroslav Borshosh at a briefing on Tuesday. 
 
The total number of registered tourists in 2025 is 9,504,275, of which 5,363,922 are Bulgarian citizens and 4,140,353 are foreigners. According to Borshosh, this is the first year in which visitors exceed 9.5 million, which he described as a strong indicator for the development of the sector. He noted that the tourist flow is 16% higher than in 2019, which, according to him, means a full recovery after the pandemic. 
 
The Minister reported significant growth in several key markets. The largest increase was recorded by Turkiye with 61.9%, followed by Israel with 30%, and Germany with 24%. According to him, the recovery of the German market is particularly important, as it was the leading market for the country before the pandemic. 
 
The data show a positive trend outside the active summer months, Borshosh noted. In April, the growth was 5 %, in May - 7.8%, in September - 5.2%, and in October it was 11%. According to the minister, this is due to targeted campaigns to encourage travel outside the peak season. 
 
Borshosh stated that the results were achieved thanks to the joint work between the Ministry of Tourism, municipalities, and industry organizations and noted the trend for tourism to develop increasingly on a regional basis.