Southern Black Sea Coast: Summer Tourism Boom

The summer tourist season along the Southern Black Sea Coast concluded with impressive results, exceeding the expectations of the industry.

According to estimates, the number of tourists was 15 to 20 percent higher compared to the previous year. Even more remarkable is the increase in Bulgarian tourists, whose number is twice as large compared to last summer.

This is a significant success for the local tourism sector, showing a growing interest in the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. The atmosphere in the resorts was filled with excitement, smiles, and summer mood, especially in the last weeks of the season.

Lower prices at the end of August and September contributed to extending the tourist season and attracting more holidaymakers.

"This is the best season – the end of the season, when people are smiling, happy because they"ve had a good summer. And we are too. When you look at them, everyone is smiling. Let"s say goodbye to the sea. The question is not what the weather is like, but who you are with during that time,"

shared Tanya Popova, reflecting the positive mood among tourists. Hoteliers report a double increase in overnight stays, confirming this positive trend.

The success of the season is explained by hoteliers with other factors as well.

"Finally, perhaps the Bulgarian tourist understood that in reality our Black Sea Coast is truly clean and good. We also have many additional attractions – people can go for a boat trip, they can go to Maslen Nos – the cleanest water in Europe, they can go on a jeep safari, they can go to Beglik Tash,"

pointed out Nikolay Nikolov, a hotelier in Primorsko. This shows that not only the cleanliness of the beaches but also the additional tourist attractions are a factor in attracting Bulgarian tourists.

Vladimir Marinov from the Burgas Regional Tourist Chamber confirmed the strong season, noting

"Definitely, this was one of the strongest seasons in the last few years. This year, traditionally, bookings were mostly from the Czech, Polish, and Slovak markets. Also, the Bulgarian market. Bulgaria is probably over 50% of the tourists. We"re talking about the area around Primorsko and south,"

This shows diversification of the market, with the Bulgarian market dominating in the region around Primorsko. Czech, Polish, and Slovak tourists also contributed significantly to the success of the season.

Loyalty among foreign tourists is also noticeable, as seen in the case of Martin Duhon from the Czech Republic, who has been visiting Primorsko for over 25 years and plans to return.

"I"ve visited other Bulgarian resorts for a day or two, but I always return to Primorsko because it"s stayed in my heart,"

he shares.

In Sozopol, the guesthouses were fully booked throughout the season, which is further proof of the strength of the season.

"They like the architecture of the Old Town, the sights, there are families who come every year and say that this is a wonderful corner of the earth,"

commented Dimitrianka Arabadjieva, owner of a guesthouse in the city. This emphasizes the importance of cultural and historical landmarks in attracting tourists.

Sunny Beach reports an increase in tourists from Germany, as well as increased interest from the UK, where Nessebar is included in the top 5 tourist destinations.

Denitsa Bakharova, a hotel manager in Sunny Beach, is optimistic about the future, sharing that

"There are colleagues and hotels that will be working until mid-October. Preparations for 2026 began a long time ago. Traditionally, some markets start selling very early – the UK from May onwards prices are on sale, not to mention that there are already inquiries to open prices for 2027,_q_

This shows confidence in the stable development of tourism in the region. The industry is filled with optimism for the next summer season.