European tourists plan their main holiday in Bulgaria

novinite.com, 19 May 2011

A total of 1.2% of the EU citizens planning holiday have chosen Bulgaria as their main holiday destination, including domestic trips, according to the latest Eurobarometer study on the bloc's attitudes towards tourism.

This makes the Balkan country the 13th most popular destination, together with Croatia and the Netherlands. Italy was the most frequently mentioned planned holiday destination for 2011 (11.5%). Spain came second with 8.6% followed by France (8.2%). 23% of EU residents have not decided yet where to spend their holidays.

If domestic holidays are excluded, Spain tops the list with 6.6%, followed by Italy with 5.8% and France with 4.4%. A total of 0.6% will visit Bulgaria.

In 2011, 58% of Europeans plan to spend their holidays in their own country or in another EU country.

According to the same report, Bulgarians are the EU citizens who are making holiday decisions based on personal experience – 52%, while only 32% rely on the Internet as an information source.