CAMPING TOURISM IN BULGARIA: A TIME-SERIES ANALYSIS OF TOURIST DEMAND

Abstract

Camping tourism has become very popular since the beginning of COVID-19 as tourists started to look for socially distanced and yet experiential activities. However, the academic scholarship is relatively thin, particularly in the context of Eastern Europe – a geographical location with rich traditions in outdoor camping and tourism. Drawing on a quantitative methodology based on ARIMA and SARIMA, this study addresses this gap by forecasting the changes in camping tourism development in the short term in Bulgaria. The results indicate a decline of inbound tourism and international visitors but also suggest a positive trend of development for the domestic market.