The government expects an up to 10% increase in the number of foreign tourists in Bulgaria this summer, Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelkova told FOCUS Radio’s Good Morning Bulgaria. 

There is an increase in early booking by tourists from the Netherlands and France. 

“The trend from last year remains thanks to the strong efforts made by the Ministry of Tourism, local governments and the sector so that Bulgaria position itself as an active tourist destination,” the minister noted. The trend is confirmed by results between January and April – a 17% growth in tourists, to 1 580 000. 

Alone in April, almost half a million tourists visited the country, up by 10% against last year, she added. So far, bookings for the summer come mostly from Germany, followed by Russia.

She also said that work continues on developing the culture-historical routes in Bulgaria.