ANAT requests introduction of rapid testing as alternative method of entry to Romania

Romania's National Association of Travel Agencies (ANAT) is asking the National Committee for Emergency Situations (CNSU) to allow the entry to Romania of unvaccinated foreign tourists only on the basis of rapid testing, the travel agencies' umbrella organization informed in a release today.

ANAT chairman Dumitru Luca says that this measure is already applied by most European states.

"In order to support tourists who, for personal reasons, have opted out of vaccination, we are asking you to support the introduction of rapid testing as an alternative method of access to Romania, in order to attract foreign tourists and also get in line with the majority of European states that already accept this testing method to allow the access of unvaccinated persons to their territories," Dumitru Luca said, as cited in the release.

ANAT's request was sent to Prime Minister Florin Citu, Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism Claudiu Nasui, and Secretary of State Raed Arafat.

ANAT also requests the government to modify Romania entry requirements for children under 12, for whom vaccination is not yet available.

Romania is among the states with the toughest access requirements for this category of citizens, as only children under 3 years of age are exempt from testing, while European states grant various exemptions for the 5 to 12 age range.

ANAT also recommends as an additional safeguard the method already used in Greece, of state-supported random testing of tourists at the border, agerpres reports.