Bulgaria Tourist Arrivals Up 6.9% in January

Tourist arrivals in Bulgaria rose 6.9% year-on-year to 790.3 thousand in January 2026 from 739.0 thousand a year earlier, with growth recorded across all travel purposes. Visits for holiday and recreation totaled 307.2 thousand, professional trips 111.0 thousand, and other purposes 372.1 thousand. EU citizens accounted for 54.2% of total arrivals, led by Romania (37.6%) and Greece (31.2%), followed by Germany (4.1%), Italy (3.9%), and Austria (3.2%). Visitors from other European countries represented 37.2% of total arrivals, with Turkey leading the group at 49.3%, followed by Serbia (18.1%), North Macedonia (19.0%), and Russia (1.6%). Transit passes made up 27.5% of all visits.