Summer Tourism: Increase in Trips by Bulgarians and Foreign Guests in July

The summer tourist season in Bulgaria reached its peak in July 2025, marking an impressive growth in both travel by Bulgarian citizens abroad and the number of foreign visitors. Data provided by the National Statistical Institute (NSI) paints a picture of increased mobility and a recovering tourism sector, despite global economic challenges.

Over 1 Million Bulgarians Traveled Abroad in July

Statistics reveal that trips by Bulgarian citizens abroad reached 1,006,300 in July 2025. This represents a significant increase of 16.8% compared to the same period of the previous year. According to the NSI, the growth was registered in all observed categories, indicating a broad trend towards the recovery of international tourism among Bulgarians.

For comparison, in July 2024, trips by Bulgarian citizens were 861,800, which was a 5% increase compared to July 2023. This consistent upswing highlights the growing desire and ability of the Bulgarian population to travel. The most preferred destinations for July 2025 remain neighboring countries and key European states. Leading the ranking is Greece with 261,700 trips, followed by Turkey with 253,200. Romania takes third place with 91,700 visits. The list of most visited countries also includes Germany (56,700), Serbia (54,300), Italy (38,400), France (34,800), the Republic of North Macedonia (33,200), Spain (31,500) and Austria (28,800).

In July 2024, the top five preferred destinations for Bulgarians were Turkey (241,000), Greece (218,200), Romania (64,200), Germany (55,800) and Serbia (45,500). The comparison shows a significant jump in trips to Greece and Romania in 2025, while Turkey remains a strong and stable destination.

Foreign Visits to Bulgaria Are Also Up

According to NSI data, visits by foreign citizens to Bulgaria in July 2025 reached 2,004,700. This is an increase of 5.6% compared to the same month of the previous year. Similar to the trend among Bulgarians, foreign citizens also saw an increase in visits for all purposes - from holiday trips to business visits.

A significant share of these visits - 36.5%, or 730,800 - are transit passes. This data highlights the country_q_s strategic geographical location as an important transport and transit corridor in the Balkans.

In July 2024, visits by foreigners to Bulgaria were 1,898,400, which was 3.4% more than the previous year.

The most visitors in July 2025 arrived from Romania (307,500) and Turkey (305,400), with both countries having almost the same number. They are followed by citizens of Ukraine (220,500), Germany (183,200), Poland (105,600) and Serbia (95,100). The top ten also include Greece (93,900), the Czech Republic (73,400), the United Kingdom (50,200) and the Netherlands (48,300).

For comparison, in July 2024, the most numerous guests were from Turkey (276,400) and Romania (273,200). Significant groups of visitors were also from Ukraine (245,600), Germany (162,700), Poland (95,200), Serbia (87,600), Greece (75,000), the Czech Republic (60,800), the United Kingdom (57,400) and the Netherlands (40,300).

Analysis of data for the last two years shows that tourism to Bulgaria is developing steadily, with a significant increase in visitors from key markets such as Romania and Germany. Despite a slight decrease in the number of visitors from Ukraine, they remain among the most numerous, which reflects both the tourist flow and the humanitarian situation.

These positive trends are welcome for the Bulgarian economy and the tourism sector, which is striving to fully recover after the challenges of recent years.