Sell out success as travel agent reveals reasons behind Bulgaria boom

A bumper summer for Teesside’s route to sunny Bulgaria has been capped off with the final flights of the 2024 season sold out.

Figures from airline Balkan Holidays show Teesside has been England’s best performing airport for trips to Bourgas, Bulgaria, this year.

And Teesside’s final flight of the summer to Bulgaria on Sunday (8 September) was sold out.

Bookings are now open for next year – and one of our region’s leading travel agents has lifted the lid on why holidaymakers are now choosing Bulgaria.

Charlotte Sigsworth, Branch Manager at Hays Travel Billingham, said: “Value for money is the number one reason. Lots of people have tried Spain, so they want to try somewhere different with a short flight, rather than a long haul.”

She added customers had returned to using Teesside as the passenger experience had been smooth – with one customer mentioning they were out of their car, through check-in, and through security within 10 minutes.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Bourgas on Balkan Holidays has been an extremely popular destination on our departure boards – and it’s great to hear our region’s vital travel agents reporting back from passengers on our smooth journeys.

“This all helps in our push for new routes – and I hope we can secure new flights on top of our great existing routes.”

Chris Rand, Marketing Manager at Balkan Holidays, added: “These routes, from Teesside and across the country, have proved very popular with British holidaymakers, and it’s great to see the people of Teesside choosing to fly with us as passenger numbers grow.”

Teesside Airport Managing Director Phil Forster said: “It’s great to sell out our final flight to Bulgaria and its testament to the close partnerships we have with our airlines.

“Our airport team always offers a top-quality service and we look forward to having a great back end of 2024.”

Flights for 2025 are now on sale. Flight information on all destinations served by Teesside International Airport can be found at: Destinations – direct from Teesside Airport (teessideinternational.com)