Spa tourism in Romania must be national priority, yet currently it is buried (employers' association)

Spa tourism in Romania must be a national priority, yet at present it is buried, because apart from the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, once with the increase in tariffs for electricity and natural gas, most spa treatment centers risk not being able to afford the activity, warns the president of the Employers' Organization of Spa Tourism in Romania (OPTBR), Nicu Radulescu.

"In all European countries, the spa resorts are used as real strongholds to fight against COVID-19 both for prevention and for treatment, and those who go to the spas are those who want to increase their immunity, which is scientifically proven. Unfortunately, in our country, after a very long period in which the treatment centers were closed or restricted, now comes a great energy crisis, accompanied by bills with enormous costs, which make it difficult for us to continue our economic activity. In Romania we have all types of natural resources, some unique in Europe, such as mofettes, not to mention the quality of mineral waters. Spa tourism in Romania must be a national priority and, at the present time, I say it with regret, I find that it is buried," says Radulescu, in a press release sent on Monday to AGERPRES.

In this context, OPTBR finds it "urgent and absolutely necessary" the implementation of an additional compensatory measure, namely the capping of the electricity and natural gas tariffs at the level of the average tariffs in 2019 for the companies that have as their object of activity the provision of spa treatment services.

"Social tourism is in a great danger, and access to spa treatment services for disadvantaged social categories is very limited," said Nicu Radulescu.

The organization asks the Government and Parliament for support in solving the reduction of the negative impact caused by the unprecedented increase in tariffs for electricity and natural gas and addressed an open letter to Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and to the Chamber of Deputies - the Committee for Industry and Services.

OPTBR representatives emphasize that "although Romania owns the richest spa resources in Europe, and if by the beginning of the pandemic the spa industry has developed due to the efforts of the business environment", the rescue of this area depends almost entirely on the decisions and support provided by the central authorities.

The Employers' Organization of Spa Tourism was founded in 1993, at the initiative of 19 representatives from the main spa resorts, supporters of spa tourism, with the purpose of representing the profile sector internally and externally.AGERPRES