Travel agency Paralela 45 ups sales by a quarter at five months, sees Africa and safaris on the rise among Romanians

Paralela 45, one of the largest travel agencies in Romania, increased sales by 25 percent in the first five months of 2014. The agency expects to end the year with total sales of over EUR 40 million, according to the company. “We chose to diversify our offer in 2014, counting on the experience of previous years, but also on our ability to open ways to new destinations,” according to Alin Burcea, president of Paralela 45. Greece (pictured) and Turkey were the best sold destinations in 2013 and this year the company increased the number of summer charters, offering departures from large Romanian cities, such as Bucharest, Iasi and Cluj. “We also exceeded 100 circuits in our portfolio, and this year we focus on Central Asia and “Black” Africa, together with a premiere: weekly flights to Aqaba and Jordan from Bucharest, Iasi and Cluj,” added Burcea. According to him, Romanians also started to get the taste of Africa and the safari. “If last year we had groups for Kenya, this year we estimate that over 500 Romanians will pay between EUR 1,700 and EUR 3,000 for new destinations such as Togo, Benin, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania-Zanzibar,” he said. The company also included Asian destinations in its portfolio, such as Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan and Iran. Paralela 45 is active on the local tourism market for over 24 years and runs a network of 35 agencies across the country. The company employs some 200 people. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com (photo source: Paralela 45)