site.btaBulgarian Association of Travel Agencies: Summer 2025

Bulgarian Association of Travel Agents (BATA) Chair Odisey Spasov expressed hope for a strong summer season in an interview with BTA.

"I hope the summer season will be strong, despite the low budget of the Ministry of Tourism for advertising. Maybe it will take time, at least one or two years, for a larger number of tourists to discover our country," Spasov said.

He noted that after the country's accession to Schengen, there are expected to be more tourists. There will be a slight increase, but it will not be what it should be with free passage of goods and passengers, Spasov pointed out and once again pointed to the role of advertising in the process of attracting tourists and the need to increase the funds for it. In addition, he argued that the money for advertising should be distributed differently: part of it should be for image advertising of Bulgaria as a tourist destination, and another for product advertising for specific regions and landmarks of the country.

The BATA Chair did not commit to specific data on the growth of visits and tourism revenues this summer, but expressed regret that every year hoteliers along the coast are not active in attracting Bulgarian tourists, but are mainly focused on foreign guests.

Spasov also pointed to problems related to beach concessions, and the high prices of beach accessories, as well as parking on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. “If calculate the price of an umbrella and a sunbed per day, as well as the parking fee for 24 hours, the amount per day reaches about BGN 60-70,” he said and gave an example of a 7-day vacation by the sea in this country in an  all-inclusive five-star hotel which reaches about BGN 1,500 per person, while in Turkiye, with an included plane transfer, under the same conditions for accommodation and meals, the price is the same. He argued that this is among the reasons for the outflow of Bulgarians from Bulgarian seaside hotels and he highlighted the need to balance prices. Only during Covid did the situation look different, when hoteliers paid great attention to Bulgarian tour operators and their focus was on the Bulgarian tourist, the expert commented, pointing out that Bulgarians' vacations in their native resorts are a huge potential for hoteliers in the country.

Bulgarians' summer vacations are on average between five and ten days, and weekend trips to the sea are mainly for people from destinations close to the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, said Spasov.

He noted the main growth engine for the summer season will be the markets of Romania and Germany, with the results for Romania visible as early as April and early May.

Spasov pointed to the necessity for the Ministry of Tourism to change its policy  regarding the participation of business representatives at major tourism exhibitions. “Our stands are getting better, but the administration is mainly represented there, municipalities, ministries, and the number of tour operators is limited,” he said and pointed out that the practice of Turkiye could be applied, where the state covers travel agencies certain expenses for participation in exhibitions, provides them with advertising materials for the national tourist product, in return for which it requires a report on the tourists arriving from the respective country, and if the conditions are not met, funding is suspended.

The personnel problem will continue to be the main one for the industry this summer, Spasov said. The state does not produce personnel, and the policy in this area in all industries is completely wrong, he commented and added that until recently there was no profession of "tour operator" and internships are often formal. Unfortunately, at the moment only 20% have a connection between theory and practice in tourism, the expert commented.

BTA presents a series of forecasts from industry organizations for the upcoming summer season in Bulgaria until June 1, when the Agency organizes the seventh edition of its BG Tourism forum in Pomorie.