The National Association of Travel Agencies (ANAT) conducted a study on the travel preferences of Romanian tourists for the end of the year and for the winter holidays. According to data collected by travel agencies in Romania , during this period, the best-selling foreign destination is Egypt. Charter flights to Hurghada are available from Bucharest , Cluj, Iași, Timișoara, Baia Mare, Oradea. Flights are also available to Sharm El Sheikh. Many tourists choose Nile cruises as optional programs.
Another requested destination is Turkey, especially Istanbul (plane and bus) and Cappadocia.
Group programs are also organized for Greece, especially airplane and coach tours, most of which focus on Athens. Groups are also being organized for Dubai, with charters starting December 1, with weekly departures. Also starting December 1, chartered destinations such as the Maldives, the Dominican Republic, the Republic of Cape Verde, Tanzania (Zanzibar), and Kenya are opening.
"Travel agencies promote tours to established destinations: Czech Republic, Spain , Italy, France (Côte d'Azur), South America , Tunisia, Morocco, but also to other lesser-known but increasingly popular destinations: Georgia or Iceland. The demand for cruises in the Caribbean and the Persian Gulf is also on an upward trend. At Christmas, a very popular and traditional destination is Lapland. Romanians have a great appetite for travel and choose destinations based on accessibility," says Alin Burcea, vice president of ANAT.
Winter sports enthusiasts choose ski packages in Austria (to which a chain of charter flights will start operating), Bulgaria and Italy
On the domestic tourism side, Romanians opt for mountain resorts, especially Poiana Brașov, followed by Sinaia, Bușteni and Predeal. There are also smaller resorts with ski slopes, increasingly in demand, where local tourism is developing strongly, even if the volumes of tourists are not very high, such as those in Harghita or Maramureș counties.
As spa resorts, the most popular are Băile Felix, Băile Herculane and Sovata. Also, travel agencies record sales for rural tourism and agrotourism destinations, mainly for the Bran – Moieciu – Fundata area but also for Bucovina and Maramureș. In general, on the domestic tourism side there is not a very big differentiation between New Year's Eve and Christmas preferences, but at Christmas there is a greater demand for rural tourism and agrotourism, Romanians wanting customs, carols, traditions and atmosphere. "Travel agencies constantly inform their tourists about the current situation regarding current restrictions and documents, and we constantly remind tourists to take out covid-19 insurance and cancellation insurance, which are also valid for domestic tourism. We constantly notify customers of any changes. Let's not forget that the travel agent is at the same time a consultant and keeps the customer informed both before and after the reservation. The rates of accommodation structures in Romania are flexible, and tourists still prefer to book last minute and are interested in the safety measures communicated by hotels. We are glad that Romanian tourists are moving towards quality accommodation structures, which we, the travel agencies, also promote," says Lucian Boronea, first vice president of ANAT.
Currently, Romanian hoteliers have started to offer, for New Year's Eve and Christmas, different, flexible rates, depending on the tourist package chosen, not to mention fixed amounts. Many hotels promote standard packages, with a festive dinner, but also packages to which the client adds services depending on the restrictions in force. 50% of Romania's total available accommodation capacity is reserved for New Year's Eve, and occupancy is likely to rise with the first week of December
Pay close attention to travel conditions
Tourists should know that the digital green certificate is now operational in all EU countries and 18 non-EU countries (and territories). Find all the details HERE
Non-EU countries that accept the green certificate are, at present, Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Switzerland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Israel , Liechtenstein, the United Kingdom, Morocco, North Macedonia, Monaco, Norway, Panama, San Marino, Turkey and Ukraine. " In the context of the deteriorating epidemiological situation in Romania, some countries also require immunized people to take a PCR test before arrival. Even though the epidemiological index is now decreasing day by day in Romania, we recommend obtaining information from reliable sources (travel agency, MAE.ro website) a few days before the start of the trip, as well as taking out an insurance policy that also covers the risk of being unable to travel for objective reasons", emphasizes Dumitru Luca, president of ANAT.
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