Sofia. Visits of tourists from Europe in Bulgaria have decreased with 5.2%. According to the Chairwoman of the State Agency for Tourism Anelia Krushkova tourists who visit Bulgaria are mainly from the European Union - about 70 percent of all tourists in Bulgaria. "In general we can say that after the initial decrease of minus 6.6 percent, which we had in the first quarter of the year, April and early May we were able to overcome this drop. Now, in early June there is once again a reduction of 7.6%. But at the same time the situation is very dynamic. Each week the data is changing”, Krushkova explained.
According to the statistics, which she presented there is serious shrink on the main tourist markets. "Serbia has 30 percent drop in the number of tourists in Bulgaria, Macedonia 4%, Greece has 11.3 percent. Greece is very important, especially for our southern regions - for Sandanski, Bansko. Britain has registered a drop by 21%, Germany 10 percent and Russia 7.3 percent, " Anelia Krushkova said. Last to years Romanians visited our state with 80% more compared with other periods. In the first months of 2009 the growth of 80 percent decreased to 19%.
Bulgaria remains the tend tourists to choose better quality for lower cost and relatively short period of time. She said that could not agree with those who argue that receive cheaper offers in abroad.
According to Krushkova it is important because Bulgaria in terms of global financial and economic crisis has been rescued by the good correlation between service and price.
“The tendency for tourists to choose better quality at lower price and rather short stay is preserved in Bulgaria”, Aneliya Krushkova, chairperson of the State Agency of Tourism, commented in interview to FOCUS News Agency.
“This is very important, as this is the major factor that saved Bulgarian tourism – the proper correlation between service and price. At the background of the big price cuts made in other countries, we manage to keep a good pace despite that the country registers a decrease”, Krushkova remarked.
In her words, the number of trips made by Bulgarian abroad also registers a decrease of 14%.
“Greece is still on the top of the chart. 32% of the trips made by Bulgarians to foreign countries are to Greece. Anyway, there is 4.2% decrease in the visits to our neighboring country. There is an increase in the trips to Turkey – almost 2%. All other destinations register a decrease”, Krushkova commented. She explains this tendency with the effect of the financial crisis.

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