In the second quarter of 2025, a total of 1.3 million Bulgarians aged 15 and above undertook trips, according to data from the National Statistical Institute. This marks a 4.1% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Domestic travel remained dominant, with 67.5% of travelers choosing destinations within Bulgaria. By contrast, 25.8% traveled abroad, while just 6.7% combined domestic and international trips.
The most active travelers were those aged 25?44, making up 36.3% of all tourists, or about 457,500 people.
Trends by age group show notable differences:
Domestic travel:The strongest preference for local tourism was among people aged 65+, with 73.2% traveling only within Bulgaria.
International travel:The highest share of trips abroad was recorded among those aged 45?64, at 28.4%.
The main motivation for travel wasleisure and holidays, accounting for 50.6% of domestic trips and an even higher 83.5% of international ones.
Most Bulgarians preferred to organize their journeys independently. Nearly 1.6 million trips, or 83.3% of all personal travel, were arranged without the help of tour operators. Within Bulgaria, 91.3% of trips were made without prior reservations, compared to 58.8% for foreign destinations.
In terms of expenses,food took the largest share? 42.6% of domestic travel spending and 34.5% abroad.
Theaverage spending per personon personal trips amounted to BGN 296.83 domestically and BGN 858.55 abroad. For business trips, the figures were BGN 280.95 within Bulgaria and BGN 1,234.39 abroad.
