Romanian tour operator sells EUR 1.6 mln worth of holidays at tourism fair in Bucharest

Tour operator Christian Tour sold around EUR 1.6 million worth of holidays during the recent spring edition of Romania’s Tourism Fair. During the four-day fair, over 5,400 tourists bought packages from Christian Tour. Greece remains a top destination for Romanians, who prefer the Crete, Rhodes, Zakynthos, Lefkada and Corfu islands. The tour operator’s EUR 1 holidays available for several Greek destinations were sold quite fast, according to Marius Pandel, CEO of Christian Tour, with some 650 holidays sold in the first days of the fair. The EUR 1 offer covers just the hotel stay not the transport and the meals, and they are only for the low season. Antalya remained the hottest Turkish destination while Spain’s Mallorca and Tenerife are increasingly more attractive for Romanian tourists. According to Marius Pandel, Romanians also showed interest in Christian Tour’s cruise groups, the most popular itineraries being the Breezes of the Mediterranean, the Northern Fjords and Baltic Capitals. When it comes to cultural tours, most Romanians opted for pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan, especially during the Easter holidays. Christian Tour also sold numerous Easter packages, especially for Poiana Brasov and mountain resorts in the Prahova Valley, as well as for spa resorts such as Baile Felix, Sovata and Vatra Dornei. During the fair, the tour operator offered discounts of up to 80% and bonuses for bookings based on the number of people. Christian Tour ended 2014 with a turnover of EUR 52 million. It currently runs 29 agencies throughout Romania, as well as one in Moldova’s Chisinau, and employs over 160 people. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com