Winter holidays amid restrictions
In Romania, the New Year celebrations took place against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
Eugen Coroianu, 04.01.2021, 14:00
Romanians returned to work after the 3-day New Year mini-holiday which they spent in pandemic conditions, like many other people around the world. The traditional open-air concerts and parties in the big cities were canceled and most Romanians had to stay at home, thus observing the quarantine or restrictive measures imposed by the authorities in a bid to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.
Other Romanians chose to travel in the country, their preferred destinations being the rural and mountain areas such as Bran, Moeciu, Prahova Valley, Vatra Dornei resort, the regions of Maramures, Bukovina, Hateg Land and Apuseni. Guest houses were the most popular accommodation facilities for tourists as health protection rules could be applied more easily there. According to the tourism industry representatives, the occupancy rate in accommodation facilities in some regions of Romania was even 100%.
Some of the most popular destinations in this period were the ski resorts, given that the skiing season opened in Romania. Those who stayed at home watched on TV people queuing for hours on end at the gondola lifts on the Prahova Valley. Long car queues were also formed on the national roads linking the capital Bucharest to the resorts on the Prahova Valley. In some places, the gendarmes were called to ensure the observance of health protection measures, as the people crowded more than in the previous years. Nevertheless, there were places in Romania, such as the spa resorts, where people did not crowd at all, and spa tourism representatives complained about a sharp drop in the spa resorts occupancy rate of up to 80%.
The Romanian authorities did not introduce further restrictions during the Christmas and New Year holidays, Romanians having to observe the measures imposed by the state of alert. Private parties or events were banned as well as festive dinners in open or enclosed spaces. Activity was also banned in pubs, clubs and discos. Previous restrictions remained in force such as the ban on peoples movement during the night in the 11 p.m. -5 a.m. interval, except for justified situations provided by the law.
Tourists were allowed to eat only on the premises of the accommodation facilities they chose, while observing the social distancing and hygiene rules. Those who stayed at home could not party on the New Years Eve as they used to, as parties in their own apartments were forbidden. Those who violated the rules and restrictions received fines worth up to 4 thousand Euros. Some Romanians chose to spend the holidays abroad, the most popular destinations for them being Egypt, Maldives and Zanzibar. (tr. L. Simion)
