In September, Bulgaria will see a surge in travel as approximately 350,000 to 380,000 Bulgarians take advantage of the long weekend for the Unification Day holiday on September 6, which falls on a Friday. This extended break, including the weekend, offers three consecutive days off.

Most of those traveling will remain within Bulgaria, heading to popular destinations like the seaside, spa resorts, or mountains, as well as visiting friends and family. Rumen Draganov, director of the Institute for Analyzes and Ratings in Tourism, noted that around 45,000 Bulgarians will venture abroad. Greece is expected to be the top destination, with about 30,000 Bulgarians planning to spend their last beach days of the year there.

Halkidiki continues to be a favored spot, with many Bulgarians owning holiday homes or apartments there. Additionally, approximately 10,000 Bulgarians will head to Turkey, while fewer will visit Serbia, Romania, Macedonia, or Western Europe.

The second long weekend of the month will occur on September 22, Independence Day, which falls on a Sunday. The following Monday will be a holiday, leading to around 320,000 Bulgarians taking trips. Of these, 280,000 will travel within Bulgaria, with some opting for seaside locations. Approximately 40,000 will travel abroad, with Greece again being the most popular choice, drawing around 25,000 Bulgarians. Turkey will attract about 7,000 to 8,000 visitors.

Bulgaria is also experiencing an increase in foreign tourism, expecting to end the year with 13 million international visitors, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. This is a notable rise from 12.5 million in 2019, reflecting a growth of 500,000 visits. There has been a significant increase in tourists from Great Britain, Scandinavia, and Central Europe, with Germans and Romanians being particularly prominent.

Domestic travel is also on the rise, with Bulgarians expected to make over 25 million trips within the country this year, surpassing the pre-pandemic figure of 24.8 million. Bulgarians, numbering around 4.2 million, are traveling an average of 5.7 times annually, including visits to holiday homes or family.

The peak summer season is seeing hotels in Sunny Beach fully booked, with foreign visitors making up the majority. Romanians, Poles, Czechs, and Slovaks are the most frequent tourists, while British and German visitors remain relatively few. The trend of decreasing tourists from Germany and the UK has continued from the pandemic era, influenced by ongoing geopolitical tensions.

In response to high electricity costs, hoteliers are planning a protest by blocking the Burgas-Varna road section leading to Sunny Beach. The deputy chairman of the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association, Veselin Nalbantov, announced the protest scheduled for August 27. The drastic increase in electricity prices, with costs tripling for some hotels, has prompted this action. Nalbantov warned of potential bankruptcies in the industry if the situation is not addressed.