Bulgaria: rising airfare costs raise concerns over summer tourism season on Black Sea coast

The summer tourist season has started on Bulgaria’s Southern Black Sea coast, with Sunny Beach already seeing strong early occupancy. Some hotels in the resort complex began operating at the end of April and are reporting full capacity, yet industry representatives are warning that rising travel costs, particularly airfares, are beginning to reshape booking patterns…

Bulgaria: employers push to end extended holidays

Bulgaria’s employers’ organization, the Association of Industrial Capital in Bulgaria (AIKB), has taken a firm stance against the current practice of extending public holidays when they fall on weekends, arguing that the system generates significant economic losses and should be reconsidered. According to the group, Bulgaria will observe 12 official public holidays in 2026, all…

Bulgaria: financier blames “greedy traders” for driving inflation

Bulgarian Financier Levon Hampartzoumian criticized the effectiveness of state efforts to ease price pressures, commenting on the closure of government-backed stands dubbed “People Shop” offering cheaper goods. In his view, the initiative had limited impact from the outset. “”People Shop” is not a large-scale scheme. With a budget of 10 million leva, nothing substantial can…

Bulgaria: hotel revenues jump as prices rise

Hotel revenues in Bulgaria are rising at a faster pace, with growth reaching 17%, according to the latest data from the National Statistical Institute. The trend reflects changes in pricing and hotel classification rather than a sharp increase in tourist numbers, according to Prof. Rumen Draganov, director of the Institute for Tourism Analysis and Evaluation.…