Last year Bulgaria recorded a 12 percent increase in tourist overnight stays in the country compared to the year before, the tourism minister recalled.
All this is thanks to the increase in the quality of the tourist product offered in the country, the implemented reform and the advertising programme of the Black Sea municipalities.
However, how will 2024 be?
The forecast for the new tourist season 2024 is good, but it should be borne in mind that the Eastern European market has reached a level of maturity and sharp rises are hardly possible. Expected growth is 5-8%, based on strong early bookings, but in practice it remains to be seen how the season will develop.
The outlook for tourist flow from the UK is encouraging. The UK’s largest tour operator Jet2Holidays has announced a near 50% increase in capacity for 2024, offsetting the negative impact of Thomas Cook’s bankruptcy in 2019.
The German market is also showing increased interest in Bulgaria, but the challenge there is in securing enough flights as charter companies move towards longer season destinations.
Positive signals are coming from the travel exchanges in Turkey due to the European Union’s decision to introduce e-visas, which will ease travel. With the improvement in visa policy, visits by Turkish citizens to winter and seaside resorts are expected to increase.
In 2024, the tourist flow will continue to be influenced by political, social and economic factors that abound in a negative trend in recent years. The development of the conflict in Ukraine has seriously damaged tourism in the country – largely due to the lack of adequate communication and crisis PR.
Due to the conflict in the Middle East, tourists from Israel will be limited in their programs to Arab destinations and will likely divert resources to Bulgaria.
Tourist services will continue to become more expensive in the country due to the short winter and summer season. Investment in quality improvement is needed to protect higher prices. The alternative to investment in quality is a spiral of cost-cutting-poor product-following cost-cutting, etc.
Local hotel associations need to look for new solutions to maintain the attractiveness of resorts in the off-season, ensuring an attractive appearance in the initial and final months. The good news is that there are already Bulgarian hotels and hotel chains that are not inferior in quality to the foreign ones present on the market.
Solvent customers will prefer Greece and Turkey as destinations where they find much better value for money. The financial crises show that these customers do not change destination, and the trade-off is in the days of stay or the hotel category.
Despite the growing affluence in Europe, foreign tourists in our country remain in the economy segment, probably because of the old-fashioned way in which services are offered and promoted. Nearly 67% of tourists inform themselves on the internet before deciding how and where to organise their holiday, and the travel industry has some catching up to do in its internet presence.
In 2024, digitalisation will be a priority. Bulgarian tourism businesses will be forced by the market to invest in technology. Technology can solve part of the labour shortage problem.
Today, the question of IT infrastructure and software is asked in parallel with that of the quality and type of product provided. In the near future, tourism businesses will lose customers due to the inability to digitally integrate the service, be it accommodation, transfer, excursion, ticket, etc. The use of human resources in Europe and worldwide is becoming extremely expensive and to remain competitive, the trend is towards communications on systems and less and less on people.
In 2024, the demand for personalised travel will increase. The travel business is looking towards increasing modularity of supply and automation of processes to meet individual needs and preferences in ‘assembling’ the trip. The ability to click & mix, micro services, add ons will become part of the mandatory offer to the customer. Tik Tok and Instagram are replacing travel catalogues with the younger generation. There have already been successful tests of travel organisation by Google’s artificial intelligence Bard.
The importance of sustainable tourism development will increase. Environmental friendliness, use of renewable energy, use of local products, contribution to the regional economy are among the factors that actively influence customer choice. Advertising of leading tourism companies will focus on product and service quality and on sustainable development.
Since the beginning of this year
Over 80,000 European tour operators will be able to learn more about Bulgaria and its natural and cultural heritage in 2024. This is made possible by the signing of an agreement between the European Committee of Travel Agents and Tour Operators Associations (ECTAA) and the Bulgarian Ministry of Tourism.
As part of the “Preferred Destination” programme, informative online round tables are planned to promote destination Bulgaria among tour operators in different markets. These events will highlight the hidden treasures and distinctive features of our country, providing travel agents and tour operators with valuable information to effectively promote the destination to their clients.
A key milestone in this alliance will be the ECTAA General Assembly in Sofia in October 2024.
This meeting will bring together leaders, company executives and industry experts from across Europe, providing an optimal platform to showcase Bulgaria and strategise for mutual growth.
Social media initiatives are also planned to present Bulgaria as an attractive destination, especially for those seeking authentic, unadulterated nature and sustainable travel.
The tourism industry is truly entering a new era, placing sustainability as its top priority, protecting nature, respecting local communities and traditions. This change is an opportunity for Bulgaria to reposition itself and take a leading position among sustainable destinations in Europe.