Novinite.com
02 Apr 2025

Restaurants in Bulgaria have organized protests to demand a return to the 9% VAT rate for the tourism sector, despite the 2025 budget passing with a 20% VAT for the restaurant industry. The protests will include temporary closures of establishments, though not during peak hours, and are planned for April 7-9.

The Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association, the Bulgarian Association of Restaurants, and the Association of Restaurants in are leading the initiative. The protest aims to maintain the reduced VAT rate for the tourism sector, with the slogan "Politicians, don?t turn off our lights!"

A symbolic "9 minutes of darkness for 9% VAT" protest will take place across the country on April 7. On April 8, a rally procession will start at 4:00 p.m. from Varna Municipality, with restaurants closing from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. On April 9, a rally concert will take place in Veliko Tarnovo from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and local restaurants will be closed from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Additionally, a nationwide protest is set for April 9 in Sofia at Knyaz Alexander I Battenberg Square from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with the slogan "Politicians, don't kill Bulgarian tourism, don't turn off our lights forever," and restaurants will close from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Earlier in March, protests were held in multiple cities including Velingrad, Plovdiv, Varna, and others, as the industry continues to push for the reduction of VAT on tourism services.