This year might be the best year for Romania’s tourism in ten years, as the local travel agencies and tour operators could see revenues of over RON 4.5 billion (some EUR 1 billion) for the first time, double the level registered in 2010, according to a study conducted by local consultancy firm KeysFin.

“The Romanians’ increasing confidence in the economy, the thaw caused by better macroeconomic conditions, the effects of the VAT cut, the relative stability of the national currency, and the positive development for tourism operators, both in terms of service range and tariffs, all these factors positively influenced the dynamics of a sector in which we have high hopes for the future,” KeysFin analysts said.

More than 3,000 companies are currently active in the tourism sector, 1,000 more than in 2010, according to data from the Trade Registry Office (ONRC), processed by KeysFin analysts. They had revenues of RON 4.31 billion (some EUR 970 million) last year, up by nearly RON 2 billion (EUR 450 million) when compared to 2010.

Touring EuropaBus Romania SRL (Eurolines) had the biggest turnover last year, of RON 297.9 million (EUR 67 million), followed by Perfect Tour with RON 226.5 million (EUR 51 million), Christian '76 Tour – RON 213.5 million (EUR 48 million), Eximtur – RON 175.2 million (EUR 39.4 million), Happy Tour – RON 168.4 million (EUR 37.9 million), and Vola.ro – RON 122.3 million (EUR 27.5 million).

The tour operators’ ranking continues with Hotelair, Fly Go Voyager, Paravion Tour, and Business Travel Tourism, all with over RON 60 million (EUR 13.5 million) in revenues.

When it comes to the places where the Romanians spend their holidays, Greece and Bulgaria were the most popular destinations last year. However, Romanians also like to spend their vacations in Turkey, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and the UK.

Some of the most popular exotic destinations were Mexico, Australia, Jordan, Canada, Syria, and Japan.

Tourism’s contribution to Romania’s economy is among the lowest in the world

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Paravion.ro on Facebook)