The state of the Bulgarian tourism – key trends businesses need to know about
4 min read
4 min read
Bulgaria is on the list of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in Europe. It has registered a growth of 7.3% in the number of foreign tourists for the period January-November 2017 compared to the same period a year earlier. For the 11 months of the year, the country was visited by 8,425,620 foreign tourists.
The largest number of tourists were from Greece, Romania, Germany, Turkey, Russia, and Macedonia. More than 1,060,000 tourists from Greece visited Bulgaria, which is a growth of over 8% compared to the same period last year. More than 12% is the increase of tourists from Turkey. Tourists from Romania were 1,054,170 and the Germany tourists were more than 853,120, which is an increase of over 5%, according to the statistics.
The steady increase of visitors to the Balkan country has sparked a number of developments in the industry and are set to change the face of one of the most important economic sectors. What are the trends shaping the Bulgarian tourism today?
People aged 18-34, otherwise known as millennials are officially the largest generation in history. Companies need to define their strategies based on this demographic group’s personality traits and habits—they travel a lot; are early adopters of technology; like personalized interactions and are spontaneous. Hotels will want to please them with easy check-in and gourmet dining experiences at reasonable prices. In return, satisfied millennials will actively promote their businesses on social media channels. And here’s why it’s advisable to pay attention to them:
When it comes to traveling, at one point always comes to food. The culinary journey has become an emerging trend among tourists, and so many experts in the tourism sector begin to take notes. Many tourists consider it one of the best ways to get to know the history of a place, and can be used as a valuable resource in advertising an object. These culinary experiences are closely tied to the culture of the place where tourists will visit cultural tourism and others. The Bulgarian cuisine offers a wide choice of tastes and can be served on any traditional and less commonly known visions and tastes to attract both foreign and local Bulgarian tourists. The country has unparalleled traditional recipes and products glorified all over the world that make Bulgaria a favorite tourist destination.
Mixing the useful with the pleasant parts of travel or known as “bleisure” (business + pleasure) is a trend in tourism that has become popular in recent years. Increasingly, tourists traveling on business occasions combine their work with a variety of side activities. Some of them even travel with family members so they can later explore the local culture with a loved one when they are out of work. This is why hospitality businesses should cater to these needs by providing additional services inspired by the needs of their visitors.
Bookings made through mobile platforms will be the new default in the industry. The shift towards mobile will continue to grow in 2018, making mobile the leading platform in the industry. For businesses, this means providing a user experience which is mobile-friendly and reduces the steps needed to make a reservation to the minimum. Users are also
Online reviews have the most impact on bookings. 9 out of 10 travelers think that reading online reviews is important and 95% of travelers trust reviews on third-party sites. While many companies try to forfeit the reviews of pretend-to-be-customers, it is very hard for businesses to hide the problems of their customers. Nowadays, it is easier than ever to rate your experience with a business and many social media actively prompt visitors to do so.
Read more about how hospitality businesses can use social media to attract new visitors in our article How can hotels increase the number of reservations through social media?
Sources: Seminar-bg, Glasove, Clientric, TradingEconomics
