Reserve the room for next year is an urge! Because in December 2020 it's better to think about future plans than what this year was. We can skip to 2020 without recording anything important in memory. It was a year when we stayed at home more and worried about our health and those around us.
So let's make plans for next year. And it's the best time to make plans because you can put some under the Christmas tree (as a request to Santa or as a gift for your loved ones). There will be a period when we stay at home more, we see our families and we can plan our holidays for the year.
And because I will immediately be cursed at by some (as I have been before) who point out to me that they no longer have a job and nothing to feed their families with and I make them plan their vacations, I will tell them to give up their internet subscription and sitting and reading articles on blogs and try to solve their problems in real life. No one is stopping you from making vacation plans even if you can't go everywhere or wherever you want. It's good for your psyche.
Let's dream of vacations
Do you think I'll be able to go everywhere I want? This year I've been to Sinaia twice, that's all. I mean, to my parents' house, for those who don't know me. Even so, if you've come straight here and don't know me, find more details on the about me page . I'm not ashamed to admit that I haven't been on vacation. It seems like some people are. I was in lockdown, then busy with work all summer and then with the fear of going somewhere after the increase in the number of Covid cases.
But now I want to make my plans for next year. At least here online. I can dream that I'll go on vacation next year, right? And if I get there, I promise to tell you nice things about the places I visit. And I'll also do some vlogs because my drone got a bit dusty in 2020. Until then, subscribe to my YouTube channel so you're prepared.
Current situation holidays and reservations
Let's see how we are now. And when I mean how we are, I'm going to the other side of the barricade and writing to you as a hotelier. Although many of you know me, for those who don't know me yet, I have 20 years of experience in tourism only at 4 and 5 star hotels. I have worked and lived both in the mountains and at the sea (yes, I know, I'm lucky). I know a little about the domestic tourism market and I'm not afraid to give advice and discuss tourism in Romania and especially on the coast . Enough with the introduction.
Tourism is on the ground
Hoteliers, like many other sectors in the country, are very affected by the pandemic. I don't need to tell you, you see it every day in the news . We, those at sea, and especially the seasonal ones, were less affected than our colleagues in the country or in big cities who lived a lot from business tourism and conferences. We also lost a significant percentage of our business, but we can say that we passed the year on the edge. However, those who have their hotels permanently open are finding it very difficult to keep their staff employed because the lack of tourists and especially events is being felt very strongly now. What can I say about the big hotels in cities that are on the ground with 3, 4 rooms per day. I don't want to talk about the measures taken by those who lead us now. However, I will not express political opinions here, if I do, it will be exceptionally and it will be in a separate article.
Romanian hoteliers will have to think about their 2021 strategy with attractive rates for tourists
Let's get back. I was saying that the situation of hoteliers in the country is not good. They are all trying to make plans for their comeback for next year. This means that they hope that they will be able to rehire the people they have laid off, that they will be able to cover their expenses and try to recover some of this year's big loss. But, certainly, the most skilled among them understand that next year they will have to fight to recover tourists. Why do I say this? We all see that the vaccine is close. The pandemic will calm down by summer. People will want to travel on vacation again. And they will want to leave the country. So Romanian hoteliers (both in the mountains and by the sea) will have to think about next year's strategy with attractive rates for tourists.
Now I'm talking about the seaside . Whoever thinks that next year it will be the same as before and people will come to the sea anyway, is mistaken. Next year there will be many who will leave, again, to Greece , Turkey , Bulgaria and other foreign destinations. And they are very right. I also want to leave the country next year on vacation. I'll write below where I want to go. So next year those who dream that they will strike and increase the tariffs to recover everything they lost this year will get a little prick.
Serious, settled tourism is not done by fluctuating rates every year and trying to take advantage (the silly kind because taking advantage is normal) of an opportunity because you will be charged. Yes, with the right lessons, you can anticipate the flow of tourists and set your sales policy according to periods and occupancy.
Are we traveling again next year?
Of course. As I told you above, with the arrival of the vaccine, the pressure of fear of traveling will be released and many will want to go on vacation. I also dream of renting a small villa in Greece and going there with the whole family. Not necessarily for the sea, but to discover new things and to relax. And I also dream of many hikes through Romania . I spent 2020 traveling virtually through many places in Romania. Brothers, we have some fabulous places in our country that far beat many destinations in Europe.
I have already started to outline my vacation plan for next year. Even if I don't succeed in all of them. I dream of going to the mountains somewhere. Not to Sinaia because I'm going to go there anyway and I know it with my eyes closed. I want to rent a cabin somewhere around Apuseni, go hiking at 6 in the morning, breathe fresh air and discover amazingly cool places. I also dream, as I told you above, of a vacation in Greece in the fall, in an area with mountains and sea.
I also dream of a city break in Europe. But I'll leave that to special wishes because it's probably not going to work out for me. I'll still manage to do a few day trips to the Bulgarians because I want to show you what you can do in a day if you're staying on the Romanian coast and want to visit something in Bulgaria . (This is a clear project for next year and will be on the blog and on YouTube).
Early Booking offer
Why Early Booking? For many more reasons than before. I told you that there are hoteliers who understand that next year they will have to be attractive. And they have already started with the discounts now. But now, in addition to special discounts, some even 40-50%, you also find special cancellation and reservation change policies. The Early Booking conditions have softened a bit. It may be a short time before the market recovers, probably a year or two at the most, so it's a good reason to reserve the room now.
In addition to discounts, some hotels have a free cancellation policy much closer to the arrival date at the hotel than before. In past years, after March 31st you could not do anything with the reservation without losing money (it could not be modified, canceled). Now this deadline has moved to the summer. There are even some hotels that allow you to cancel until May-June with the money paid being converted into vouchers. This is the case with the hotel where I work.
When it comes to Early Booking, most everyone thinks of the seaside. Why not Early Booking in the mountains too? I haven't seen it before. If I were a hotelier in the mountains, I would make an Early Booking offer for summer or fall. You still get some money now that you can use during this difficult period even if it affects your ADR for the summer a little. Or maybe it doesn't affect it at all if you have a good sales department that knows how to make a good mix of rates.
I return to the exhortation from the beginning. Yes, that is my main conclusion.
Other tips offered by Răzvan Dobre, one of the most professional hoteliers on the coast, can be found HERE
