Bulgarians flock to Türkiye’s Edirne in holiday season spree

BY DAILY SABAH WITH IHA
Shopping avenues and restaurants in Türkiye’s Edirne are being swarmed by frequent visitors from across the border who are flocking to the city to meet their needs, while bookings at accommodation facilities are said to have peaked heading into New Year.
Bulgarians usually buy everything from food to clothes when they head to the northwestern city. Arrivals are known to peak on Fridays and weekends.
The trend coupled with overnight stays have turned Bulgarians into an important source of income for local tradesmen, restaurants and accommodation facilities.
Arrivals soared after a regulation came into force in late July allowing Bulgarian citizens to enter without passports.
The momentum is expected to gain further pace in the coming days as many Bulgarians are said to have booked rooms in the city where they plan to stay for New Year celebrations.
“Bulgarian citizens will stay in Edirne on New Year’s Eve. Our colleagues confirmed there is a high demand, and hotels are almost fully booked,” hotel personnel, Birhan Didin, told Ihlas News Agency (IHA).
Burak Cansever, a restaurant manager in Edirne, also noted the unprecedented interest from Bulgarian citizens. “We have allocated 10% capacity to Bulgarian citizens in our enterprise (for New Year’s Eve), and it has already been booked.”