Sofia is ranked third in Europe by the growth of foreign visitors for the period 2009-2016, according to the results of the Mastercard Global Visitors’ Global Index, reports Chronicle.
The Global Mastercard index for the most visited cities is much more than a ranking of the 132nd most preferred for traveling cities. Based on the volume of visitors and their costs for the calendar year 2016, the analysis also gives a forecast for growth in 2017, key figures for the fastest growing destinations, and a deeper understanding of why people are traveling, how much and how they spend money in different countries.
The index again highlights Bangkok as the most visited city in the world. The number of arrivals in Sofia ranks 77th in the world – in front of traditional tourist destinations such as Colombo, Geneva, St. Petersburg, Casablanca and Cairo. The total number of visitors arriving in the Bulgarian capital for 2016 is 1 186 413 people. The growth of foreign visitors to Sofia in 2016 is over 18% compared to the previous year and the forecast for 2017 is for a new growth of 2%.
Mastercard’s Global Master Card Index also reveals annual growth of 3.7% in the funds spent by visitors to Sofia for the period 2009-2016, with a total volume of USD 500 million in 2016, at USD 387 million in 2009 Nearly 20% is the increase in spending that international visitors have made in Sofia for only the last two years (2016th compared to 2015th).
Source: novinite.com
