Bulgaria Expects 6.5 Million Tourists in 2009

Standart Daily

"Bulgaria expects some 6.5 million tourists in 2009. The number of holiday-makers in 2008 was nearly the same," stated the Director of the Institute for Analyses and Evaluations in Tourism, Rumen Draganov, before the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).

"Despite the world financial crisis, Bulgaria cannot expect a bigger than 3-7% reflux of tourists in 2009," Mr Draganov added.

At the same time, Greece expects a 40%-decrease of tourists. In 2009, Bulgarian hotel-runners will also rely on the native holiday-makers. It is very likely that in 2009 the tourists will spend less money but they will not cut down on the number of their vacations. Bulgarian tourists spent an average 340 euro for a holiday in 2008. Some 30% of the bed capacities in the hotels are expected to be occupied in 2009 at an annual basis due to the world financial crisis and the boom in construction works in the last years.