Volume of tourist reservations in Romania up by 60 pct this summer compared to last year

The pandemic boosted Romanian tourism, the volume of bookings this summer having increased by 46% compared to 2019 and by 60% compared to last year, according to a press release from Travelminit.ro, sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday.

This summer, Romanians have fully caught with respect to holidays, especially with the relaxation of restrictions and security measures taken by the authorities in the context of the pandemic. According to the online hospitality platform Travelminit.ro, which analyzed the reservations made between June and July 2021, the summer season was a prolific one for hoteliers and owners of guesthouses and holiday homes in the countryside.

Thus, the volume of reservations for the period June - July 2021 was by 46% higher than in 2019 and by 60% higher than in 2020.

After a period full of uncertainty, in which the travel possibilities were limited, the Romanians' wanderlust increased more than ever, as evidenced by the large numbers of reservations for domestic destinations. In addition, the increasingly frequent changes in the conditions of entry into European countries and not only have led tourists to choose the safety of stays in the country, something that has created a favorable context for industry.

As for destinations, the popular choices remain unchanged. During this summer, the map of the most sought after destinations in Romania looked as follows: the Romanian seaside accounted for 25% (mainly Mamaia, Eforie Nord, Vama Veche, Olimp and Costinesti resorts), the big cities account for 23% (Bucharest , Brasov, Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara, Oradea), spa destinations 21% (Sovata, Bsile Felix, Baile Herculane), and the rest is divided between smaller localities, but which can be considered true tourist treasures (Praid, Rimetea, Odorheiu Szekler, Corund or Gheorgheni).

Also, when it comes to choosing the accommodation unit, Romanians still prefer hotels and guesthouses, which, during this summer, covered together a percentage of 68% of the total number of reservations on Travelminit.ro, the rest being divided between apartments, holiday homes and hostels. In the case of hotels, an increase was reported compared to last year, mainly due to the fact that many accommodation units of this kind have prepared complex packages and offers at affordable prices for this summer season.

Accommodation prices this summer were higher than in the same period of 2020, but considerably lower than in the summer season of 2019. Moreover, a considerable advantage for domestic tourism was that Romanians were able to use unused holiday vouchers from previous years to book accommodation in the country.

Regarding the rates, the average price for 2 nights accommodation, 2 adults, was 501 lei (as opposed to 524 lei in 2019 and 477 lei in 2020). Also, the average price for 2 nights accommodation, 2 adults + 2 children, this summer was 692 lei, while the average price for a stay of 3 nights, 2 adults + 2 children, was 1,170 lei.

"It is obvious the Romanian tourists' interest in destinations in the country, whether we are talking about seaside areas or mountain or spa areas. Uncertainty about the fourth wave restrictions led to a large number of bookings during the summer and even until the end of September. We expect the number of reservations to remain high until mid-October," said Timea Ambrus, Travelminit.ro Operations Manager.