Increase in International Tourism

Increase in International Tourism

Dnevnik Daily, 04.07.2005

Revenue from international tourism has increased by eight per cent between the beginning of the year and May, according to Ministry of Culture and Tourism data. A total of 1.29 million tourists visited the country during that period, a three per cent increase compared to last year. The largest numbers came from Greece, Macedonia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Most of the visits took place during winter. Statistics for May, on the other hand, will give an indication of foreign interest in Bulgarian sea resorts. Specialists noticed a sharp decline in tourist visits from Greece and Belgium. The decline varies between 10 and 15 per cent for each country. Specialists predict an annual increase between 10 and 12 per cent in foreign tourism. This year, sea resorts are benefitting mainly from East European and EU countries' tourists. There are about 574 000 tourists from Western Europe. At the same time, 10 per cent more Bulgarians travelled abroad. The three most popular destinations were Turkey, Greece, and Serbia and Montenegro. (Dnevnik) see source