Bulgarians' trips abroad in May 2019 increased by 4.6%

The number of trips Bulgarian citizens made abroad in May 2019 was 762.100 or by 4.6% more compared to those registered in May 2018, the National Statistical Institute reported on 27^th of June.

The increase in the number of trips of Bulgarian citizens compared to the same month of the previous year is reported for: Italy - by 9.5%, Republic of North Macedonia - 7.3%, Turkey - by 6.5%, Romania by 5.6%, Greece by 3.4% Germany - by 3.3%. At the same time, the number of trips of Bulgarian citizens decreased to: Austria - 6.8%, Poland - 5.0%, Belgium - 3.4%, Serbia - 0.3%, and others.

Bulgarians' trips abroad increased in all types of travel: other types - 6.1%; business travel - 5.5%; holiday or excursion - 2.1%. Other types of travel accounted for the largest share of Bulgarians' trips abroad (visits, education, visits of cultural and sports events)- by 39.1%, followed by holiday and excursion-33.5% and business travel - 27.4%. In May 2019, Bulgarians paid the most trips abroad to Greece - 190,500, Turkey - 157,000, Romania - 61,300, North Macedonia - 48,300, Germany - 44,800, Serbia - 44,700, Italy - 31,600, Austria - 24,200, the United Kingdom - 21,900, Spain - 21,300.

Of the total number of foreigners who visited Bulgaria in May 2019, the share of citizens in the European Union was 62.7% or 0.7% less than in the same month of the previous year. Visits by UK citizens increased by 14.1%, Austria by 6.7%, Greece by 2.9%, Poland by 0.7%, Romania by 0.3%, and others. At the same time, the number of visits by citizens from Italy - by 17.2%, Germany - by 0.5%, France - by 0.5%, and others decreased.

The largest number of trips to Bulgaria in May 2019 were made by Romanians - 264,000, followed by citizens of Greece- 103,600, Turkey - 99,000, Germany - 68,500, Serbia -55,300, North Macedonia - 43,000, UK - 33,000, Ukraine - 32,200, Russia - 28,300, Poland - 22,000.