Short city breaks to Sofia, Plovdiv and Veliko Turnovo are up by 25 percent over the past year, the Association of Bulgarian Tour Operators and Travel Agents, (ABTTA) says.

In the past 2-3 years Sofia has been growing increasingly popular among foreign tourists as a venue for celebrating the New Year, says Daniela Stoeva from ABTTA:

“Interest is generated mostly from markets like Germany, Italy, Spain, maybe because they have the best flight connections to Bulgaria. What clients are after are short breaks in Bulgaria, 4-5 days long, including a New Year dinner, and of course, visits to different landmarks in Sofia, to Rila Monastery.Plovdiv is also included, with the New Year concert at the Sofia Opera and Ballet house being a highlight.”

In connection with the upcoming Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, more people are expected to travel to Sofia and to big cities with a rich cultural and historical heritage, which may put the tourist industry to the test, as it is experiencing a shortage of skilled staff, Daniela Stoeva says and adds that expectations are for more guests to travel to the country, but also of an increase in revenues from their stay in Bulgaria.