Bulgaria Likely to Attract 10 Million Tourists by Year-End
More than 10 million tourists may visit Bulgaria by the end of the year, Rumen Draganov from the Institute for Analysis and Assessment in Tourism told the Bulgarian National Radio. In August alone the record number of 2 million tourists visited the country. Bulgarian tourism has profited from affordable prices and geopolitical factors, the expert said. He pointed to formerly top tourist destinations now losing tourists: Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey. Many Bulgarians for example, have canceled Turkey bookings in the aftermath of the coup attempt in that country in mid-July. France and Belgium have seen a 10 percent decline since the beginning of the year. Rumen Draganov points to a recent trend of shorter, weekend-type vacations that Bulgarians increasingly opt for. By rule Bulgarian tourists make reservations later than westerners and do not profit from early bookings.
BNR