Bulgaria would like to further strengthen its position in the German travel market and expand its tourism offerings beyond traditional beach vacations.
Bulgarian Minister of Tourism Dr. Ilin Dimitrov and representatives of the German Travel Association (DRV) discussed prospects for closer cooperation during a meeting at the association’s offices in Berlin. The focus was on the further development of year-round tourism offerings, increased marketing of regions that have been less well-known to date, and specific joint initiatives.
“Bulgaria has far more to offer than attractive beaches and excellent value for money. Our goal is to further develop the country as a versatile destination for all seasons. To this end, we are investing in better flight connections, targeted destination marketing, and new tourism offerings. The German market is an important partner in this effort,” emphasized Bulgarian Minister of Tourism Dr. Ilin Dimitrov.
Germany is one of Bulgaria’s most important European source markets. In 2025, approximately 306,500 German guests were registered at Bulgarian lodging establishments—an increase of 24.3 percent over the previous year. In addition to the established vacation regions along the Black Sea coast, the country offers attractive opportunities for cultural and city trips, active vacations, and wellness and health tourism.
Tapping into New Potential Together
The DRV also sees good opportunities to further develop German vacationers’ interest in Bulgaria. The goal is not to replace the successful beach vacation offerings but to complement them. In particular, wellness and spa offerings, cultural tours, nature and active vacations, as well as combinations of different vacation types, offer good opportunities from the DRV’s perspective.
“Bulgaria is known among German vacationers primarily as an attractive beach vacation destination. However, the country has much more to offer. Together with our Bulgarian partners, we want to raise awareness of this diversity and develop additional offerings for the German market. It is crucial that the products are easy for tour operators and travel agencies to book and market” explained Achim Wehrmann, CEO of the DRV.
Both sides intend to continue the dialogue and further promote cooperation between the German travel industry and Bulgarian tourism partners.
