Bulgaria expects rise in German tourists in Summer 2016

German tour operator TUI will increase by 35% its charter flights from Germany to Varna and Burgas, on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, in Summer 2016 compared with last year, Bulgarian Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova has said.

Thomas Cook has also reported increased demand for vacations in Bulgaria this year, Angelkova said at a media briefing at the ITB Berlin travel trade show, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Tourism in Sofia on Friday.

With more than 620,000 German tourists who visited Bulgaria last year, Germany ranks third on the list of the foreign markets of the Bulgarian tourism sector, Angelkova added.

“Bulgaria can offer practically everything to the German tourists – from holidays at the seaside and ski resorts to spa, ecotourism and cultural tourism,” Angelkova said.

TUI Group, the world’s largest tour operator, said last month that it was stepping up investments in countries like Bulgaria and Cape Verde to compensate for a slump in demand for travel to Turkey. TUI Group data show that bookings to Turkey for Summer 2016 have decreased by 40% due to security concerns caused by the recent terrorist attacks in the country and its proximity to war-torn Syria.

Along with Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Paris have also became less popular among TUI Group’s clients due to the recent terrorist attacks carried out at those tourist destinations.