Bulgaria’s tourism sector remains stable and continues to show growth, with further gains expected in 2026, according to industry experts.
Speaking recently to Bulgarian National Radio, Prof. Rumen Draganov, director of the Institute for Analysis and Evaluation in Tourism, said the sector remains a reliable pillar of the national economy. “Tourism is quite stable in the country and continues to develop. We expect growth in 2026 as well,” he said.
In 2025, total tourist activity is being driven largely by domestic travel, which continues to dominate the market. Draganov estimates that trips taken by Bulgarian residents within the country exceeded 27 million, underlining the critical role of local demand in sustaining the industry year-round.
At the same time, international tourism is recovering and gradually surpassing pre-pandemic benchmarks. According to the National Statistics Institute, Bulgaria welcomed last year 13,608,246 foreign visitors in 2025, up 2.7% over 2024. This represents an increase of nearly one million compared to 2019 levels. For 2026, inbound arrivals are expected to reach approximately 14 million.
Looking in details, four countries generated one million travelers or close to that number. Bulgaria largest inbound tourism market was in 2025 Romania with 2.623 million arrivals, followed by Turkey at 2.424 million. Other important inbound markets were last year Greece at 1.355 million, Germany at 1.018 million and Ukraine at 0.918 million. In total, EU countries generated 7.576 million arrivals representing a market share of 55.7%.
The UK generated 0.343 million arrivals while the USA is a small player with only 49,100 arrivals.
Growth is being supported by rising interest in cultural tourism, city breaks, spa and wellness, and rural experiences. These segments are helping diversify Bulgaria’s tourism offering beyond its traditional reliance on Black Sea summer holidays. Seaside tourism continues however to lag behind pre-2019 performance levels, indicating a slower recovery for the country’s coastal resorts.
