Minister Ilin Dimitrov in Tsarevo: Events and good transport links are part of the solution for a longer tourist season

During the ‘Long Summer’ / ‘Hospitable Sea’ forum, an assessment was made of the summer of 2026 and the opportunities for year-round tourism

"Long Summer" reflects our ambition to extend the start and end of the tourism season and turn Bulgaria into a year-round destination. We have all the resources." This was stated by the Minister of Tourism, Dr. Ilin Dimitrov, at the opening of the national meeting in Tsarevo with the participation of mayors from the Southern Black Sea Coast, the regional governor of Burgas and representatives of the tourism industry.

Minister Dimitrov presented an analysis of the results of the active season, which is still underway. For the period May - July, over 11 million overnight stays and over 3 million tourists were recorded. Revenue from overnight stays increased by 13% compared to the same period last year. According to data from the Unified Tourist Information System (USTI), from the beginning of the year to mid-September, tourist registrations in accommodation facilities were over 7.3 million. 

“Over 4 million foreigners come to Bulgaria annually. Our goal is to double the number by the end of our mandate, while also maintaining the interest of our Bulgarian tourists," Minister Dimitrov said. 

Among the topics discussed during the event were good practices and new trends, the challenges facing Bulgarian tourism and the prospects for its future development.
Minister Dimitrov highlighted the priorities in the management program such as improving connectivity, effective advertising, measuring quality and highlighting the tourism sector. He placed emphasis on redirecting more resources from tourism back to infrastructure, events, and promoting the regions and their landmarks.