Romania draws fewer foreign tourists than in the communist era, Travel Agencies Association warns

Romania attracts fewer international tourists today than it did during the communist era, making it the only country in Europe in this situation, the National Association of Travel Agencies (ANAT) warned, as reported by news agency Agerpres. According to the organization, Romania received more than 3.4 million foreign tourists in 1980, compared with just slightly over 2 million today.

After the 1989 Revolution, foreign arrivals briefly reached around 3.2 million as visitors were drawn by curiosity about a newly opened country, the same source said.

“But curiosity is not a strategy, and what followed was a transition without direction, without investment, and without vision. Today, after more than three decades of democracy, openness, and European integration, the number of foreign tourists barely exceeds 2 million,” ANAT said.

The organization criticized authorities for failing to implement incentives designed to support incoming tourism, including a legally established bonus for agencies bringing foreign visitors. It also noted that Romania’s national tourism promotion budget stands at just EUR 2 million a year, most of it spent on trade fairs.

“It is likely the only macroeconomic indicator in which Romania performs worse than before 1989,” said ANAT president Alin Burcea.

The association contrasted Romania’s stagnation with significant tourism growth in neighboring countries. Albania now attracts nearly six times more tourists than Romania, Hungary draws six times more despite having a smaller population, and Bulgaria receives triple the number of visitors, ANAT said.

By comparison, Romania recorded just 2–2.2 million foreign tourists staying in accommodation facilities, versus 101 million in France, 94 million in Spain, and over 40 million in Greece.

Although Romania recorded 14.78 million foreign entries at its borders in 2023, ANAT stressed that most were transit visitors who did not stay overnight. Only around 1.5–2.2 million foreign tourists actually booked accommodation - a level similar to the 1980s.

ANAT attributed the decline to “chronic” policy discontinuity, with each government changing structures, branding, priorities, and strategies. As a result, Romania lacks sustained promotion, predictable funding, and a clear identity on the international market.

“Romania has many transit visitors but too few who remain. And that is what matters: overnight stays, local spending, experience, reputation,” the association said.