Five municipalities attracted half of all tourists in Bulgaria in 2025, according to a study by the Institute for Market Economics. With nearly 1.5 million visitors, Nessebar was the country’s most active tourist municipality in 2025. It was followed by Sofia with 1.3 million tourists, Varna with 1.2 million, Plovdiv with 410,000, and Balchik with 378,000. Together, these five municipalities accounted for 50% of the country’s total tourist flow.
The top ten was completed by Velingrad, Bansko, Burgas, Hisarya, and Samokov. These were also the only municipalities to attract more than 200,000 tourists during the year.
A total of 19 municipalities recorded more than 100,000 visitors. Broadly speaking, they fall into three categories: seaside resorts, mountain and spa destinations, and regional centres where urban tourism and business travel play a leading role. The distribution among these three categories was relatively balanced. Of the more than 9 million tourists recorded, 3.5 million visited seaside municipalities, 3 million travelled to major urban areas, and 2.5 million chose mountain and spa resorts.
The Institute noted that regional tourism trends varied, although most municipalities recorded growth compared with 2024. Some of the strongest increases were seen in relatively small municipalities. Brezovo near Plovdiv reported annual growth of 211%, Svilengrad saw a 153% increase, and Zlataritsa recorded growth of 109%.
At the same time, several major tourist destinations experienced declines. Tourist numbers in Primorsko fell by 11%, while Sozopol saw a decline of 2% compared with the previous year. Nessebar, meanwhile, recorded growth of 4%, while Sofia registered an increase of 9%.
Tourism Revenues
According to the Institute, total revenues from accommodation facilities reached EUR 1.4 billion in 2025.
Revenue concentration was even greater than visitor concentration. Nessebar generated EUR 382 million, accounting for 27% of all accommodation revenues nationwide. Varna followed with EUR 252 million, or 18%, while Sofia generated EUR 147 million, equal to 11% of the total. Together, these three municipalities accounted for more than half of all overnight stay revenues in Bulgaria.
The Institute pointed out that these figures cover only accommodation revenues. More broadly, the Hotels and Restaurants sector generated EUR 5.3 billion as early as 2024, with the remainder coming from restaurants and other food service activities.
Visitor Profile
The visitor profile also differs significantly across tourist municipalities.
Nessebar had the highest share of foreign visitors, at 76%, followed by Varna and Kavarna, both at 70%. In the southern parts of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, the share of foreign tourists ranged between 25% and 30%.
In Sofia, foreign visitors accounted for 63% of all tourists, while in Plovdiv the share stood at 40%, reflecting the key role of Sofia Airport. Among the leading mountain resorts, Bansko relied more heavily on foreign tourists, who made up 49% of visitors, compared with 30% in Samokov.
The Institute also noted that the role of foreign visitors in accommodation revenues is even more significant than their share in tourist numbers. In Nessebar, foreign tourists generated 83% of all accommodation revenues, compared with 79% in Kavarna and 75% in Sofia.
Tourism Role in Local Economies
The importance of tourism for local economies is most clearly reflected in the contribution of the Hotels and Restaurants sector to total value added.
In several Black Sea municipalities, the sector accounts for more than half of all economic activity: 56% in Primorsko, 55% in Nessebar, and 54% in Sozopol.
In Varna, the sector contributes 9% of total value added, while in Sofia the figure is 2.5%.
In mountain resorts, the role of hotels and restaurants is somewhat smaller compared with seaside destinations. In Bansko, the sector generates 36% of value added, while in Samokov it accounts for 23%, likely reflecting the stronger role of other related services.
The study was prepared as part of the “265 Stories about the Economy” initiative of the Institute for Market Economics, which focuses on the dissemination, visualization, and analysis of municipal data.
The Institute said that tourism data are being published on the initiative’s website for the first time. The figures are based on data from the National Statistical Institute covering accommodation establishments with more than 10 beds. This means that some types of tourism, particularly short-term rentals through online platforms, may not be fully reflected. In municipalities with very small numbers of such establishments, the data are protected by statistical confidentiality rules.