More French tourists to visit Romania this year, study finds

The number of French tourists who will come to visit Romania is expected to grow to about 140.000 this year, with almost 15 percent more than last year, according to a study by Travel Advisor Media, which questioned tour operators that work with the French market. The French mostly prefer the cultural tours and are interested in the sights of the UNESCO patrimony. Bucovina, Transilvania, Maramures and the “La Voye Royale” route which brings them at the Black Sea, especially for treatment, are on the sightseeing package list. This year, Paris, the capital of France, will host between March 17 and 20 the Tourism International Exhibition, the biggest tourism exhibition in this country, and one of the most important tourism events in Europe. The Romanian Embassy will host an event with the purpose of promoting Romanian values, especially the “George Enescu” International Festival set for September 1- 25 this year. The festival represents one of the main events that will allure an estimated 600 French tourists to Romania. On a related note, Invitation Romania has launched on the French traveling market, the Oltenia tour which includes Ramnicu Valcea, Horezu, Targu Jiu ( with Brancusi’s creations – the Endless Column, the Kiss Gate and the Table of Silence), Valea Jiului, the Cazane Defile (which is considered the most spectacular in Europe) Sarmisegetuza, Deva, Sibiu and Transfagarasan. Alexandru Camburu, alex.camburu@romania-insider.com