Bulgarians Join Balkan Protest Against Soaring Food Prices
Bulgaria has joined Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro in organizing protests against rising food prices
Revenues from overnight stays in Bulgaria witnessed a robust recovery in November 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and marking a positive trend for the nation's tourism industry. According to the latest data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI), November 2023 revenues reached BGN 69.1 million, exceeding the pre-pandemic figures of BGN 42.8 million in November 2019.
The impressive increase of BGN 26 million, equivalent to a 12.8% rise compared to November 2022, signals a substantial rebound in the tourism sector. Of the total revenue, BGN 46.3 million was contributed by Bulgarian visitors, while BGN 22.8 million came from foreign nationals. The NSI report reveals a 17.4% increase in revenue generated by Bulgarians and a 5.1% increase from foreign tourists, both compared to November 2019.
Despite a slight dip in the occupancy rate to 23.8% in November 2023, a 0.6 percentage point decrease from the previous year, the data highlights positive trends across different establishment categories. Four- and five-star establishments led with a 30.1% occupancy rate, followed by three-star establishments at 24.3%, and one- and two-star establishments at 16.2%.
In November 2023, Bulgaria hosted 2,066 accommodation establishments with 59,600 rooms and 123,100 bed-places. Although there was a marginal 0.3% decrease in accommodation establishments, the number of bed-places increased by 4.1% compared to November 2022.
The total number of overnight stays remained steady at 855,200, with Bulgarian citizens contributing 636,200 nights and non-residents 219,000 nights. Accommodation establishments with four and five stars accounted for a significant portion of nights spent by both non-residents (70.2%) and Bulgarian residents (43.1%).
The positive momentum continued with a 5.5% increase in arrivals, totaling 424,700 in November 2023. Bulgarians reported a 7.1% increase, while foreign residents saw a modest 0.8% rise compared to the previous year. The number of arrivals in November 2019 showed a similar upward trend, with an 11.5% year-over-year increase to 413,600.
With 322,800 Bulgarian residents and 101,900 foreign residents spending the night in accommodation establishments, November 2023 showcased a promising average of 2 overnight stays for Bulgarians and 2.1 for foreign residents.
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