Overseas Trips of Bulgarians Down by 46.8% Y/Y in Q2, 2012

According to NSI data, 755 000 Bulgarians made tourist trips in Q2, 2012, 80.7% of them traveled within the country, 15.5% traveled abroad, and 3.8% traveled both in the country and abroad. Photo by M3 Communications Group,Inc

An increasing number of Bulgarians are giving up on journeys, with a reduction of nearly 50% registered in overseas trips in the second quarter of 2012, according to preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute (NSI).

According to NSI data, 755 000 Bulgarians made tourist trips in Q2, 2012, 80.7% of them traveled within the country, 15.5% traveled abroad, and 3.8% traveled both in the country and abroad.

In Q2, 2012 the number of travelers aged 15+ decreased by 28.1% from Q2, 2011, with a reduction of 22.9% in the number of people who traveled within the country and a reduction of 46.8% in the number of people who traveled overseas.

In Q2, 2012 travelers aged 25-44 accounted for 43.4% of the total.

People aged 65+ made 88.3% of the total of domestic trips, while people aged 25-44 made 17.2% of the overseas trips.

The most frequent reasons for both domestic and overseas trips were visiting relatives and holiday tours.

The main reason behind overseas trips was "holidays and recreation" (61.6%) while for domestic trips it was "visiting relatives" (41.9%).

Most Bulgarians prefer to organize their trips on their own (80%), with 74.4% of the domestic trips and 64.2% of the trips abroad made without reservations.

Only 18.7% of the overseas trips and 2.6% of the domestic trips were made arranged by a tourist agency or a tour operator.

Transport expenses accounted for the largest share of expenses, with a relative share of 35.4% for domestic trips and 36.2% for overseas trips.

A person aged 15+ had to pay BGN 124.7 for a private domestic trip and BGN 471.6 for a private overseas trip.

Meanwhile, the average cost of a business trip per person was BGN 114.1 for a domestic trip and BGN 829.8 for an overseas trip.

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