Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments was 2.98 million guests in 2022. ▲ Rising
Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in Bulgaria, 1999–2022
Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in guests.
Analysis
In 2022, foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in Bulgaria stood at 2.98 million guests.
That represents a change of up 61.7% on the previous year and up 15.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in Bulgaria peaked at 3.96 million guests in 2019 and was at its lowest, 581,000 guests, in 1999.
That places Bulgaria 42nd out of 139 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | guests | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 581,000 guests | — |
| 2000 | 741,000 guests | +27.5% |
| 2001 | 864,000 guests | +16.6% |
| 2002 | 1.03 million guests | +19.2% |
| 2003 | 1.38 million guests | +33.6% |
| 2004 | 1.67 million guests | +21.2% |
| 2005 | 1.91 million guests | +14.4% |
| 2006 | 2.02 million guests | +6.0% |
| 2007 | 2.21 million guests | +9.0% |
| 2008 | 2.21 million guests | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 1.93 million guests | -12.4% |
| 2010 | 2.06 million guests | +6.9% |
| 2011 | 2.39 million guests | +15.6% |
| 2012 | 2.58 million guests | +8.0% |
| 2013 | 2.75 million guests | +6.8% |
| 2014 | 2.73 million guests | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 2.81 million guests | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 3.32 million guests | +18.3% |
| 2017 | 3.57 million guests | +7.6% |
| 2018 | 3.81 million guests | +6.6% |
| 2019 | 3.96 million guests | +4.0% |
| 2020 | 1.14 million guests | -71.1% |
| 2021 | 1.84 million guests | +61.5% |
| 2022 | 2.98 million guests | +61.7% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 2.98 million guests is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.55 million guests, 1.2× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 2.98 million guests is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.98 million guests, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in Bulgaria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -71.1% | 3.96 million guests | 1.14 million guests |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 581,000 guests | 581,000 guests | 581,000 guests | 1 |
| 2000s | 1.60 million guests | 741,000 guests | 2.21 million guests | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.00 million guests | 2.06 million guests | 3.96 million guests | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.99 million guests | 1.14 million guests | 2.98 million guests | 3 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More reference data data for Bulgaria
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.3067 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2728 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.73 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2506 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.73 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.608 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.36 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in Bulgaria?
- Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in Bulgaria was 2.98 million guests in 2022, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 3.96 million guests in 2019.
- What is the lowest foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 581,000 guests in 1999.
- How does Bulgaria rank for foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments?
- Bulgaria ranks 42nd out of 139 countries with data for 2022.
- Is foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of international visitors who check in to hotels and similar accommodation establishments.