Changes in the structure and distribution of inbound tourist flow in Bulgaria during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Bulgaria is a major center of tourism on the Black Sea. The aim of the study is to identify changes in the structure of the inbound tourist flow and the geographical features of its distribution in Bulgaria due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the study, groups of countries were identified that occupy a different place in the structure of the inbound tourist flow to Bulgaria: neighboring countries, the G7 states, other countries of Western Europe, the post-socialist states of Europe and other countries. The pandemic has led to a redistribution of the inbound tourist flow to Bulgaria, primarily in favor of neighboring countries. In 2019, the Black Sea regions of Bulgaria, as well as the capital of the country, Sofia, were most visited by foreign tourists. In some border areas there was a relatively higher proportion of foreign tourists compared to the interior regions of the country, but in terms of the volume of tourist flow they were significantly inferior to the Black Sea ones. In 2021, the volume of inbound tourist flow decreased markedly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Black Sea regions, the share of foreign tourists, as in 2019, remained at a high level, with the exception of the Burgas region, where the effect of substitution by domestic tourists was clearly manifested. The country's capital Sofia also retained a high proportion of inbound tourist flow.