The data released by the National Statistical Institute for the period June-September 2023 show a 10 percent increase in tourists compared to 2022 and 4.9 percent compared to the strongest pre-pandemic year 2019. This was commented in Plovdiv by Prof. Mariela Modeva, advisor to the Minister of Tourism, who participated in the ninth meeting between the tourism business and the local government.
According to Modeva, domestic tourism exceeds these levels, and incoming tourism has recovered to 90 percent. Compared to 2019, there is a decrease in tourists from Germany and the United Kingdom. We believe that the forecasts for a good summer season with more than 4.8 million tourists were justified, she pointed out, quoted by BTA.
The expectations for the winter season are that even if the start is delayed, the resorts are prepared with artificial snow machines. Our only task is to monitor the situation with Israeli tourists, as we currently do not have a mass refusal of reservations, Modeva also said.
Visits to museums and cultural institutions are increasing, with 4 million visits in 2022, which is a 50 percent increase compared to the pandemic year 2020, commented Deputy Minister of Culture Amelia Gesheva. She pointed out that work is underway to create a unified national cultural calendar, which would also include the presentation of Bulgarian culture abroad.
dnes.bg