Bulgaria's Tourism Surpasses Pre-pandemic Revenue Levels, November 2023 Shows Strong Recovery

Revenues from overnight stays in Bulgaria witnessed a robust recovery in November 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and marking a positive trend for the nation's tourism industry. According to the latest data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI), November 2023 revenues reached BGN 69.1 million, exceeding the pre-pandemic figures of BGN 42.8 million in November 2019.

The impressive increase of BGN 26 million, equivalent to a 12.8% rise compared to November 2022, signals a substantial rebound in the tourism sector. Of the total revenue, BGN 46.3 million was contributed by Bulgarian visitors, while BGN 22.8 million came from foreign nationals. The NSI report reveals a 17.4% increase in revenue generated by Bulgarians and a 5.1% increase from foreign tourists, both compared to November 2019.

Despite a slight dip in the occupancy rate to 23.8% in November 2023, a 0.6 percentage point decrease from the previous year, the data highlights positive trends across different establishment categories. Four- and five-star establishments led with a 30.1% occupancy rate, followed by three-star establishments at 24.3%, and one- and two-star establishments at 16.2%.

In November 2023, Bulgaria hosted 2,066 accommodation establishments with 59,600 rooms and 123,100 bed-places. Although there was a marginal 0.3% decrease in accommodation establishments, the number of bed-places increased by 4.1% compared to November 2022.

The total number of overnight stays remained steady at 855,200, with Bulgarian citizens contributing 636,200 nights and non-residents 219,000 nights. Accommodation establishments with four and five stars accounted for a significant portion of nights spent by both non-residents (70.2%) and Bulgarian residents (43.1%).

The positive momentum continued with a 5.5% increase in arrivals, totaling 424,700 in November 2023. Bulgarians reported a 7.1% increase, while foreign residents saw a modest 0.8% rise compared to the previous year. The number of arrivals in November 2019 showed a similar upward trend, with an 11.5% year-over-year increase to 413,600.

With 322,800 Bulgarian residents and 101,900 foreign residents spending the night in accommodation establishments, November 2023 showcased a promising average of 2 overnight stays for Bulgarians and 2.1 for foreign residents.

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