Tourism Minister: 2023 Summer Season to Outperform 2019 by 5%

Jerusalem, 20 April, 2023 (TPS) -- VARNA, ON THE BLACK SEA, 20.04.2023 (BTA)
Caretaker Minister of Tourism Ilin Dimitrov, who was in the Albena resort on Thursday to open the National Professions Competition, reported that the available data suggests that the upcoming summer season will outperform 2019 with 5% growth. Markets that were somewhat stagnating have recovered in Bulgaria, while many tourists are also expected from traditional markets as well as from emerging markets, such as Poland and Czechia.

The UK market is also seeing growth. The German market, which had a serious downturn, is recovering little by little, the Minister said, adding that he expects about 25% growth over the previous year.

Dimitrov expects a relatively long summer season, which will last as every year until the end of September. According to him, the challenge ahead is not to fill hotels in June, July and August but to have good occupancy as early as May.

The Minister will appeal to MPs to support the Ministry’s budget to secure funding for charter flights, as this measure was essential and already utilized by Bulgaria’s neighbors.

Dimitrov pointed out that the industry has started using a lot more digital technologies to market itself.

More than 100,000 foreign tourists visited Bulgaria over the Easter holidays, with a large share of them from Romania, the Minister said. Bulgaria saw a very good winter season despite the lack of snow.

Commenting on what will happen after April 30 with Ukrainian refugees accommodated in hotels, Dimitrov explained that this decision is within the competence of the National Task Force. He said that a comprehensive review is currently underway in cooperation with the Task Force to help determine the next course of action by the end of April.