Tourism on the rise
Hoteliers' income from overnight stays in April reached BGN 76.7 million, or 37.3% more compared to April 2022. Foreign citizens have spent 39.9% more than the previous year while Bulgarians - 35.7%. It is estimated that tourists will begin flowing in the summer months despite the Black Sea's relative proximity to events in Ukraine.
The total number of overnight stays in all accommodation venues in April 2023 exceeded 1 million or by 16.3% more compared to the same month of the previous year. The largest increase in overnight stays (by 22.3%) was in 1- and 2-star accommodations, but the largest share of overnight stays was in high-category hotels. Nearly three-quarters of foreign tourists and over 40 percent of Bulgarian tourists stayed in four- and five-star hotels.
Bulgarian trade shrinks
Bulgaria's foreign trade shrank in April: exports decreased by 11.2% and imports by 12.1% compared to the same month the previous year according to national statistics.
The total data for the first four months of the year indicate that exports grew by 3.6% to BGN 29.9 billion, while imports remained at last year's level - BGN 32.8 billion.
In the period January - April 2023, the export of goods from Bulgaria to third countries increased by 13.3% compared to the same period in 2022 and was worth BGN 10.9 billion. The main third party trading partners are Turkey, Great Britain, USA, Ukraine , Serbia and North Macedonia, which form 55.8% of exports to third countries. In April alone, exports increased by 3.6% compared to the same month of the previous year and amounted to BGN 2.5 billion.
Bulgaria-Greece highway delayed again
Public tenders for two sections of the Struma' highway - between Blagoevgrad and Krupnik and between Kresna and Sandanski, will cost the Bulgarian taxpayers a lot more than previously expected. The highway is semi-built but the final part, near the Greece border, remains in construction with no clear final deadline.
The design and construction contracts are for a total of BGN 389 million, of which almost the entire amount had to come from European funding. However, due to errors in public procurement, criteria and competition rules in the procedure, financial corrections worth over BGN 60 million were made which the state will have to pay to the contractors.
Tourism on the rise
Hoteliers' income from overnight stays in April reached BGN 76.7 million, or 37.3% more compared to April 2022. Foreign citizens have spent 39.9% more than the previous year while Bulgarians - 35.7%. It is estimated that tourists will begin flowing in the summer months despite the Black Sea's relative proximity to events in Ukraine.
