site.btaDecember 2022 Foreigners’ Visits to Bulgaria Up 60.3% Y/Y - Statistics

In December 2022, the number of the trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 604,700 or 9.7% above those registered in December 2021, while the number of visits of non-residents to Bulgaria was 761,900, or 60.3% up year-on-year. Transit passes through the country accounted for 37.8% (287,600) of all visits of foreigners to Bulgaria, the National Statistical Institute said Friday.

In December 2022, most trips of Bulgarian residents were made to: Turkiye – 170,600, Greece – 108,300, Serbia – 64,700, Romania – 53,300, Germany – 39,500, the Republic of North Macedonia – 31,900, Austria – 21,300, Italy – 18.900, the United Kingdom – 13,900 and Spain – 12,100.

The trips with other purposes (as a guest, education and visiting cultural and sports events) in December 2022 composed the greatest share of the total number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad - 45.3%, followed by those with the purpose of holiday and recreation - 32.5% and with professional purposes - 22.2%.

The share of visits of EU citizens was 51.1% of the total number of non-residents’ visits to Bulgaria in December 2022 and reached 389,500, the largest being by visitors from Romania - 39.8% and Greece - 30.7%.

The visits of foreigners in the group ‘Other European countries’ numbered 305,900, or 40.1% of all visits to Bulgaria. The highest number of visits in this group was registered from Turkiye, 153,500, or 50.2%.

In December 2022, the predominant share of the visits was with other purposes - 57.8%, followed by trips with holiday and recreation purpose - 28.1% and those with professional purpose - 14.1%.