Bulgaria: Unified Tourist Information System (ESTI)

What is ESTI?

ESTI (ЕСТИ) is Bulgaria’s Unified Tourist Information System, managed by the Ministry of Tourism.
It centralizes mandatory tourist and accommodation data and replaces manual reporting methods.

Through ESTI, accommodation providers must submit:

Guest registration data
Overnight stay information
Monthly statistical reports

Reporting is mandatory and must be done electronically.

Who needs to report to ESTI?

You must comply with ESTI if you operate in Bulgaria and provide:

Hotels
Guest houses
Apartments
Short-term rentals
Any accommodation offering overnight stays

This obligation applies regardless of size or booking channel.

What data is reported?

Once ESTI reporting is enabled and configured, the system automatically prepares the required data, including:

Property data

Official accommodation name
Accommodation Place Unit Number (UIN)
Floor and room identifiers
Average nightly price

Guest & stay data

Guest names
Dates of stay
Number of nights
Identity document details (as required by law)

You do not need to manually format files or track legal schemas everything is prepared according to ESTI requirements.

Legal basis

The obligation to report to ESTI is established by Bulgarian law:

Tourism Act (Article 116, paragraph 5)
Requires accommodation providers to maintain guest registers and submit data electronically.
Ordinance on the National Tourism Register (Decree No. 252 / 2019)
Confirms that tourism data must be submitted through ESTI.
Official guidance from the Ministry of Tourism and municipalities
Clarifies that since 1 October 2019, ESTI is the mandatory reporting channel for all accommodation providers.

How to set up ESTI reporting

Step 1: Complete required property settings

Go to:

Property Settings → Legal → (ESTI)

Fill in the following fields:

Accommodation Place Unit Number (official UIN)
Floor
Room number / identifier
Average nightly price (or fixed amount)

Then go to:

Property Settings → Main

Confirm the property name as it should appear in the ESTI CSV

Once these fields are saved, all remaining required data will be collected automatically from bookings and guest details.

Step 2: Generate the ESTI CSV file

Go to Bookings
Click More
Select Export / Generate ESTI CSV (Bulgarian statistics)
Select one or more Bulgarian properties
Choose the reporting month and year
Click Generate / Create CSV
Download the file when ready

Step 3: Submit the file to ESTI

Upload the downloaded CSV file directly to the ESTI portal:

https://esti.tourism.government.bg

No additional formatting or manual adjustments are required.

Why this matters

Using automated ESTI reporting means:

✅ Legal compliance with Bulgarian tourism law
✅ Fewer errors and rejected submissions
✅ No manual spreadsheets or duplicate work
✅ Faster monthly reporting
✅ Less administrative overhead for your team

For front-desk and operations teams, compliance becomes a simple monthly task instead of a legal risk.

Frequently asked questions

Is ESTI submission optional?

No. ESTI reporting is mandatory for all accommodation providers operating in Bulgaria.

Do I need to submit data daily?

ESTI collects daily operational data, but file generation and submission is done monthly.

Can I submit data for multiple properties?

Yes. You can generate a single CSV covering multiple Bulgarian properties.

What happens if I don’t submit?

Failure to comply may result in penalties or sanctions from local authorities.

Need help?

If you have questions about:

Property configuration
Missing fields
CSV generation
Submission errors

Please contact our Support team we’re happy to help you stay compliant!