Bulgaria ends summer tourism season with arrivals down 80%

Bulgaria ends summer tourism season with arrivals down 80%
By bne IntelliNews September 24, 2020

Bulgaria ended the 2020 summer season with an 80% collapse in the the number of tourists, according to Polina Karastoyanova, executive director of the National Tourism Board, Investor.bg reported on September 24.

The sector, which is a major contributor to economic growth, was severely hit by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Between 25% and 30% of people working in the tourism sector have lost their jobs despite the government’s support aimed at helping the companies to retain workers.

Karastoyanova said that the authorities are working on a plan for the winter tourism season and for the next summer season.

However, she noted that many companies working in the sector remain at risk of going bankrupt and that the government should enter the industry as an investor to help those companies survive.

In August, Tourism Minister Mariana Nikolova said that the government expected a year-on-year drop of around 40% in the number of tourists visiting the country this winter.

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