In October 2019, the number of the trips of Bulgarian residents abroad was 473.3 thousand (Annex, Table 1) or by 4.1% above the registered in October 2018. In comparison with the same month of the previous year, an increase was observed in the total number of the trips of Bulgarians to: Serbia - by 12.1%, Turkey - by 9.0%, Republic of North Macedonia - by 5.3%, Germany - by 4.7%, Austria - by 4.1%, Romania - by 3.7%, Greece - by 0.2%, and etc. At the same time decreased the trips to: Hungary - by 9.0%, France - by 4.6%, Italy - by 1.5%, Belgium - by 0.6%, and etc.

In comparison with October 2018, an increase in the trips with all observed purposes was registered: ‘holiday and recreation’ - by 8.1%, ‘professional’ - by 2.8%, and ‘others’ - by 2.6%. The trips with other purposes (as a guest, education and visit the cultural and sport events) in October 2019 composed the greatest share of the total number of trips of Bulgarian residents abroad - 44.0%, followed by those with professional purpose - 28.7%, and with holiday and recreation purposes - 27.3%

In October 2019 most trips of Bulgarian citizens were made to: Turkey - 115.9 thousand, Greece - 100.4 thousand, Serbia - 36.5 thousand, Romania - 34.9 thousand, Republic of North Macedonia - 26.6 thousand, Germany - 26.6 thousand, Austria - 16.6 thousand, the United Kingdom - 16.3 thousand, Italy - 15.1 thousand, Spain - 12.6 thousand.

In October 2019, the number of arrivals of visitors from abroad to Bulgaria was 766.4 thousand or by 3.7% more in comparison with October 2018. An increase in the trips with all observed purposes was registered: ‘holiday and recreation’- by 6.4%, ‘others’ (including as guest and passing transit) - by 2.2% and ‘professional’ - by 2.2%. Transit passes through the country were 28.8% (220.4 thousand) of all visits of foreigners to Bulgaria.

The share of visits of ЕU citizens was 52.2% of the total number of foreigners’ visits to Bulgaria in October 2019 or by 2.6% less in comparison with the same month of the previous year. A decrease was registered in the visits of citizens from Poland - by 32.7%, Italy - by 19.7%, the Netherlands - by 11.7%, Belgium - by 10.9%, Germany - by 7.1%, and etc. At the same time increased the visits from the United Kingdom - by 10.2%, Austria - by 8.2%, Greece - by 3.2%, Romania - by 1.5%, and etc. The visits of foreigners in the group ‘Other European countries’1 increased by 9.8%, as the highest increase was observed in the visits of citizens of Turkey - by 17.8%. In October 2019, the predominant share of the visits with other purposes was 45.4%, followed by trips with holiday and recreation purpose - 35.8%, and with professional purpose - 18.8%

In October 2019 the most visits to Bulgaria were from: Romania - 144.8 thousand, Turkey - 125.8 thousand, Greece - 99.7 thousand, Republic of North Macedonia - 57.9 thousand, Serbia - 53.9 thousand, Germany - 39.1 thousand, Ukraine - 27.1 thousand, the United Kingdom - 21.3 thousand, Israel - 14.8 thousand, Poland - 13.6 thousand.