Bulgaria's 2026 tourist season in numbers: 7 million visits

Bulgaria recorded more than 7 million tourist visits from January to September 2026, the Ministry of Tourism says. Of the 5.7 million visits in May–September, more than 3.5 million were by foreigners. Revenue from foreign guests grew, but foreign visits fell 2.1% in August. The government now wants 8 million foreign tourists a year. Figures are as of October 2026; final season totals are not out yet.

How many tourists came to Bulgaria in 2026?

Bulgaria logged more than 7 million tourist visits in January–September 2026. Deputy Tourism Minister Mariela Modeva gave the figure at a cultural tourism fair in Veliko Tarnovo on 7 October, BTA reported. The months May–September accounted for 5.7 million, of which more than 3.5 million were foreign. Museums recorded more than 7.9 million visits. Modeva said Bulgaria can become a year-round destination. She wants the focus to be on the quality of the tourism product, not only on visitor numbers.

How much did foreign tourists spend?

Revenue from foreign guests’ overnight stays reached €520 million in January–July, up 10.5% on a year earlier. Tourism Minister Ilin Dimitrov gave the figures at a national meeting in Tsarevo on 19 September, according to BTA. Accommodation establishments registered 5.2 million arrivals in those seven months, including 2.2 million foreigners. Dimitrov also said more than 65% of this summer’s tourists on the Black Sea coast were Bulgarian.

Why did foreign visits dip in August?

The National Statistical Institute (NSI) counted 2,221,200 visits by foreigners in August 2026. That is 2.1% fewer than in August 2025, BTA reported on 29 September. Holiday trips fell 3.9% and business trips 5.5%. Transit made up 37.8% of all visits. Romania (419,200), Türkiye (346,500) and Germany (212,400) sent the most visitors.

The weakness started early. In late June, bne IntelliNews reported industry estimates that tourist numbers on the northern coast were about 35% below a year earlier. Poor flight connections were among the reasons cited.

What is the 8 million goal?

The government aims to roughly double foreign tourists from about 4 million to 8 million a year by the end of its term, Dimitrov said. Domestic tourism should stay at its current level. No year-by-year plan had been published as of October 2026.

What does it mean for Varna?

• The same pattern locally. NSI’s Varna region figures for August 2026 show 3.6% fewer nights but 7.2% more revenue. Foreigners made up 76.7% of guests.
• Flights decide the target. Doubling foreign arrivals depends on charter and airline seats, which the coast lacked in June. The TUI–Bulgaria memorandum signed in Varna aims to double TUI guests by 2030 and start the German season in early May.
• A longer season. A year-round push would mean hotels and services around Varna working more months. Local plans are on the agenda of the Black Sea Tourism Forum.

We will update this page when the Ministry of Tourism publishes its final figures for the 2026 season.