Bulgaria doubles its tourism promotion budget. Photo: Shutterstock Bulgaria is preparing for a significant move in the tourism and aviation sectors: The country's Ministry of Tourism announced that the budget proposal for 2027 includes almost 24 million euros to promote tourism and improve air accessibility. This amount is almost double the resources allocated to these areas in 2026.
The announcement, published last Friday as part of the government's plans for next year, puts a clear goal at the center of Bulgaria's strategy: to turn investment in tourism advertising into a tool that generates more flights, more tourists, and more revenue for the local economy.
A key component of the plan is the allocation of an additional 10 million euros for a new mechanism to promote tourism and air connectivity.
Through the mechanism, the state plans to develop direct collaborations with airlines and international tour operators to encourage new flight routes, increase visitors, and extend the tourist season beyond the peak months.
The Ministry of Tourism emphasizes that this is a change in the government's investment approach: instead of focusing solely on advertising the destination, the intention is to tie budgets to measurable results, including expanding the airline network and increasing tourist traffic.
However, at this stage, this allocation appears in the state budget proposal for 2027, not in a budget that has already been finally approved.
Bulgarian Tourism Minister Dr. Ilin Dimitrov emphasized in the official announcement that the move is intended to address the needs of the industry and strengthen Bulgaria's competitiveness in the international tourism market.
He said the government is working to convert the country's tourism potential into more flights, more tourists, and more revenue for businesses and local communities.
The minister emphasized that every euro invested in the program must produce measurable results.
Ilin Dimitrov, Minister of Tourism of Bulgaria. Photo: PassportNewsAlongside investment in aviation and marketing, the ministry is promoting reform in the way local tourism tax revenues are used.
According to the plan, at least 50% of the revenue from this tax will be directed to promoting tourism destinations and improving accessibility to them.
Local businesses and communities in tourist areas are expected to help set priorities, and the public should be able to see how funds are used.
At the same time, the government plans to strengthen supervision of short-term rental accommodations, connect the industry's databases, and improve the registration of overnight stays.
According to the Ministry of Tourism's estimate, the changes may result in registering 500,000 to 1 million additional overnight stays in 2027 compared to 2026. This forecast reflects improved reporting and registration, not necessarily an identical increase in actual overnight stays.
Bulgaria also sets a long-term goal: to double the number of international tourists by 2030 and increase tourism's direct contribution to GDP by at least two percentage points. In addition, work continues on establishing a tourism guarantee fund, which will provide additional protection to travelers in the event of a tour operator's insolvency.
The planned reforms will be divided into three phases: a first package of measures in November 2026, continued progress on changes and the guarantee fund until January 2027, and broader regulation of resorts, accommodation classification, beaches, and taxation until June 2027.
The new move reflects Bulgaria's ambition to strengthen its position as an international tourist destination throughout the year, with the opening of new air routes and the expansion of commercial cooperation expected to be at the center of efforts in 2027.