Up to BGN 4.7 million is the income from the tourist accommodation in Plovdiv region, according to the latest May data. This is what Valentin Tochev, chief expert at the Territorial Statistical Bureau - South, told FOCUS Radio - Plovdiv.
According to him, the realized revenues from overnight stays of foreign citizens in May are 2.3 million leva, and Bulgarian - 2.4 million leva. Compared to the same reporting period in 2017, an increase in accommodation revenues was registered - 22.2%, respectively by foreigners - 20.6% and by Bulgarians - 23.7%. "Total bed occupancy in May is 31.4%, with the highest occupancy rate of 4 and 5 stars - 44.3%, followed by those of 3 stars - 31.8%, and with 1 and 2 stars - 19%, while the occupancy of beds increases by 0.4% in May 2017. In the 4 and 5 star places, the increase is by 3.9 percentage points, while those with 1 and 2 stars - by 0.1 percentage points, while for the other three stars there is a decrease of 2.2 percentage points ", explained Valentin Tochev.
According to him, the data also indicate that most tourists from France, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Germany have stayed in the Plovdiv region in May. The average number of nights spent by foreigners in all accommodation places in May is 2.4. "The number of people staying in accommodation places in May increases their number in the same month of 2017 - a total of 44 900.
The share of Bulgarians is 68.1% of all overnights, the majority of them (74.8% ) spent nights in hotels with 3 or 4 and 5 stars and averaged 1.8 overnight stays, while the overnight residents were 14,300, with 63.1% of them staying in hotels with 4 and 5 stars and average of 2.6 the number of nights, "explained Totchev. He pointed out that 191 accommodation places with more than 10 beds - hotels, motels, campsites, chalets and other short-stay accommodation - functioned in May. "The number of rooms in them is 4,900 and the beds are 9,300. Compared to May 2017 the total number of accommodation places increased by 7,3% and the beds in them by 2,7%," said Tochev.
