In February 2018, the number of the trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 379.5 thousand or by 3.5% above the registered in February 2017. In comparison with the same month of the previous year, an increase was observed in the total number of the trips of Bulgarians to: Romania - by 12.9%, Turkey - by 10.6%, France - by 4.6%, Germany - by 3.1%, Austria - by 2.9%, and etc. At the same time decreased the number of the trips of Bulgarians to: Greece - by 3.9%, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - by 3.0%, Italy - by 1.7%, Serbia - by 0.6%, and etc. This is reported by the National Statistical Institute (NSI).
In comparison with February 2017, an increase was registered in the trips with holiday and recreation purpose - by 24.4% and with professional purpose - by 9.7%, while those with other purposes decreased with 6.7%. The trips with other purposes (as a guest, education and visit the cultural and sport events) in February 2018 composed the greatest share of the total number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad - 49.7%, followed by the trips with professional purpose - 27.6%, and with holiday and recreation purpose - 22.7%.
In February 2018 most trips of Bulgarian citizens were made to: Turkey - 76.9 thousand, Greece - 61.5 thousand, Romania - 43.9 thousand, Serbia - 36.3 thousand, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - 29.3 thousand, Germany - 21.4 thousand, Austria - 14.4 thousand, Spain - 13.4 thousand, France - 11.9 thousand, Italy - 11.4 thousand.
In February 2018, the number of arrivals of visitors from abroad to Bulgaria was 457.4 thousand or by 4.9% more in comparison with February 2017. An increase was registered in the trips by all observed purposes: with professional purpose - by 18.8%, with holiday and recreation purpose - by 2.6%, and with other purposes (including as guest and passing transit) - by 1.2%. Transit passes through the country were 22.2% (101.4 thousand) of all visits of foreigners to Bulgaria.
The share of visits of ЕU citizens was 47.4% of the total number of foreigners’ visits to Bulgaria in February 2018 or by 6.0% more in comparison with the same month of the previous year. An increase was registered in the visits of citizens from Belgium - by 23.7%, Greece - by 14.9%, Czech Republic - by 12.1%, Romania - by 9.4%, and etc. At the same time decreased the visits from Austria - by 12.7%, the United Kingdom - by 6.1%, Italy - by 4.2%, Germany - by 2.4%, and etc. The visits of foreigners in the group ‘Other European countries’1 increased by 3.0%, as the highest growth was observed in the visits of citizens of Serbia - by 15.0%. In February 2018, the predominant share of the visits with holiday and recreation purpose was 42.2%, followed by trips with other purposes - 37.7%, and with professional purpose - 20.1%.
In February 2018 the most visits to Bulgaria were from: Turkey - 79.7 thousand, Romania - 66.4 thousand, Greece - 59.5 thousand, Serbia - 48.2 thousand, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - 40.6 thousand, the United Kingdom - 20.5 thousand, Germany - 14.3 thousand, Israel - 14.3 thousand, Ukraine - 12.5 thousand, Russian Federation - 9.5 thousand.