July figures don’t confirm hopes for domestic tourism recovery over summer

The number of Romanian tourists hosted by the local accommodation structures went down by one third in July compared to the same month last year, according to the latest data from the statistics office INS.

The number of foreign tourists plunged by 90%. Foreign tourists, traditionally a minority in Romania, accounted for some 3% of the total in July this year, down from 18% in July 2019.

The annual activity drop in tourism was similar when measured in terms of overnight stays. The figures, which are estimates based on reports of a sample of operators, may still lack accuracy because of the rapid change in the structure of the accommodation units used towards smaller units in the rural area (the preferred destinations this summer, reportedly), though.

However, the official figures do not support yet optimistic expectations for a robust recovery of the tourism industry in the summer months propped by the Romanians' caution (and regulatory obstacles) in traveling abroad.

Economy minister Virgil Popescu expressed hopes that the tourism sector's revenues would actually increase this summer, in annual terms.

"The Black Sea coast, the mountain resorts, the north of Moldova and Maramures are all fully booked, and accommodation units in the Danube Gorge are fully booked by the end of September. Many Romanian tourists prefer for reasons of safety and health to spend their holidays in Romania. That's why I think that we can't talk about big losses in tourism this summer. […] I look forward to the release of the August statistics to see exactly where we stand. […] I believe that domestic tourism this summer, probably July, August, and September, will report stronger revenues compared to last year," Popescu said, quoted by G4media.ro.

(Photo: Mircea Manole/ Inquam Photos)