Romania, a Highly Appreciated Tourist Destination
2015 was a good year for Romanian tourism, but also the last one when the sector benefited from European funding to promote the country's tourism brand.
Valentin Țigău, 30.12.2015, 13:10
The president of the National Tourism Authority, Anca Pavel-Nedea, says the year that is now coming to a close was a good one for the Romanian travel industry. She also hopes that the governments strategy will lead to a substantial increase in the number of tourists who choose Romania as a holiday destination. 2015 is in fact the last year when the National Tourism Authority benefited from European funds to promote a country tourism brand. Indeed, the significant growth of the travel sector is owing not only to the cut of the VAT on accommodation and related services from 24 to 9%, but also to the better promotion of Romanian tourist destinations abroad.
The amount that the Authority earmarked for attracting foreign tourists exceeds 13 million euros. As much as 2.6 million euros went into the production and broadcast of ads on 3 US television channels and the purchase of advertising space in publications in the main cities in the USA. For the same purposes, 3.1 million euros was spent in Italy, 2.8 million euros in the UK and 3.9 million euros in Germany. Recently, CNNs online channel posted a list entitled “Where to go in 2016,” recommending 16 destinations, Romania included. According to the international television channel, the best stories come from travels in places under the tourist radar, and the Romanian recommendations include the Carpathian Mountains, the Danube Delta and the city of Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania. Some of the most popular Romanian myths are also mentioned, such as the story of Dracula. The vast and varied landscapes in Transylvania, surrounding medieval castles and churches, will not disappoint visitors, CNN also says.
In the country, after a Christmas described by the authorities as one of the most peaceful of the past few years, Romanians are getting ready for the New Years party. As much as 90% of the accommodation capacity on offer has already been booked, and for the first time, it seems that this year most Romanians chose to spend their New Years break in the country. The most popular destinations remain the areas with rich folk traditions, such as Maramures, Bukovina, and Transylvania. Many felt encouraged to travel after the Romanian Railway Corporation announced a 4% cut in all tariffs and the introduction of special holiday fares with 25% to 56% discounts.
