After another recording breaking year for travel, many keen holidaymakers will be setting their sights on their next destination for 2025.
In the first seven months of 2024, international tourist arrivals in Europe were 11% higher than the previous year and only 4% lower than 2019 – showing excellent recovery from the pandemic.
But, as seems to be a common theme for travel at the moment, tourists rarely seem to look beyond the likes of Spain, France, Italy and Greece for holiday destinations on the continent.
Spain in particular is on track to welcome a record number of tourists, with over 90 million expected, while the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris saw a 18.9% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Aiming to encourage tourists to choose a destination off the beaten path, travel expert and journalist Simon Calder revealed to the Daily Express his top two underrated European picks for 2025.
He said: “All the indications that we’ve seen, for instance the figures of people going through airports and the latest figures from travel companies show that we have an insatiable appetite for travel. And 2025 is going to be fantastic in having wider horizons than ever”.
However, he also revealed, “we will be paying quite a lot for it”.
He added: “If you want a bargain destination, then I would head for the Balkans – Bulgaria is always very good value for package holidays.”
Situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea, Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey – meaning it also benefits from those ideal hot summer temperatures.
In 2023, Bulgaria saw just 8.6 million tourist arrivals – a peak for the country and an increase of 13% from the previous year. Still, this is nothing compared to the 33 million that headed for Greece and the over 49 million to Turkey during the same period.
Tourism is still a significant contributor to economic growth in Bulgaria, with Sofia, Plovdiv, coastal resorts Albena, Golden Sands and Sunny Beach and winter resorts Bansko and Pamporovo among some of the locations most visited by tourists.
For the history lovers, Bulgaria has been home to many civilisations, including the Thracians, Greeks, Romans and Ottomans, leading to a plethora of historical artefacts and sights, including the World Heritage sites of Boyana Church and Madara Rider and the 10th century Rila Monastery.
It also has a pristine coastline with sandy beaches and clear seas, which are guaranteed to be far quieter than the likes of Greece and Turkey.
Calder also shared: “I’ve also got my money on Albania as an up and coming destination – fantastic beaches, friendly people and prices back to the 20th century”.
Home to stunning mountain scenery, crumbling castles, a boisterous capital and dreamy beaches that rival any Mediterranean country, it is a wonder why only 10 million foreign tourists visited Albania in 2023.
Albania is one of the most affordable countries in Europe. A luxury hotel room can cost as little as 50 euros (£41.50), while a full meal costs around 10 euros (£8.30).
Just across the Straits of Corfu, a similar hotel room on the popular Greek island is likely to cost £86 per night, based on current Booking.com figures.