In October 2019, the number of the trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 473.3 thousand (Annex, Table 1) or by 4.1% above the registered in October 2018. In comparison with the same month of the previous year, an increase was observed in the total number of the trips of Bulgarians to: Serbia – by 12.1%, Turkey – by 9.0%, Republic of North Macedonia – by 5.3%, Germany – by 4.7%, Austria – by 4.1%, Romania – by 3.7%, Greece – by 0.2%, and etc. At the same time decreased the trips to: Hungary – by 9.0%, France – by 4.6%, Italy – by 1.5%, Belgium – by 0.6%, and etc.
In comparison with October 2018, an increase in the trips with all observed purposes was registered: ‘holiday and recreation’ – by 8.1%, ‘professional’ – by 2.8%, and ‘others’ – by 2.6%. The trips with other purposes (as a guest, education and visit the cultural and sport events) in October 2019 composed the greatest share of the total number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad – 44.0%, followed by those with professional purpose – 28.7%, and with holiday and recreation purposes – 27.3%
In October 2019 most trips of Bulgarian citizens were made to: Turkey – 115.9 thousand, Greece – 100.4 thousand, Serbia – 36.5 thousand, Romania – 34.9 thousand, Republic of North Macedonia – 26.6 thousand, Germany – 26.6 thousand, Austria – 16.6 thousand, the United Kingdom – 16.3 thousand, Italy – 15.1 thousand, Spain – 12.6 thousand.
In October 2019, the number of arrivals of visitors from abroad to Bulgaria was 766.4 thousand or by 3.7% more in comparison with October 2018. An increase in the trips with all observed purposes was registered: ‘holiday and recreation’- by 6.4%, ‘others’ (including as guest and passing transit) – by 2.2% and ‘professional’ – by 2.2%. Transit passes through the country were 28.8% (220.4 thousand) of all visits of foreigners to Bulgaria.
The share of visits of ЕU citizens was 52.2% of the total number of foreigners’ visits to Bulgaria in October 2019 or by 2.6% less in comparison with the same month of the previous year. A decrease was registered in the visits of citizens from Poland – by 32.7%, Italy – by 19.7%, the Netherlands – by 11.7%, Belgium – by 10.9%, Germany – by 7.1%, and etc. At the same time increased the visits from the United Kingdom – by 10.2%, Austria – by 8.2%, Greece – by 3.2%, Romania – by 1.5%, and etc. The visits of foreigners in the group ‘Other European countries’1 increased by 9.8%, as the highest increase was observed in the visits of citizens of Turkey – by 17.8%. In October 2019, the predominant share of the visits with other purposes was 45.4%, followed by trips with holiday and recreation purpose – 35.8%, and with professional purpose – 18.8%
In October 2019 the most visits to Bulgaria were from: Romania – 144.8 thousand, Turkey – 125.8 thousand, Greece – 99.7 thousand, Republic of North Macedonia – 57.9 thousand, Serbia – 53.9 thousand, Germany – 39.1 thousand, Ukraine – 27.1 thousand, the United Kingdom – 21.3 thousand, Israel – 14.8 thousand, Poland – 13.6 thousand.