Romanian pupils left stranded at Italy, Japan airports after camp organizer disappears

Almost 150 pupils from Romania’s Gorj county were left stranded at airports in Italy and Japan by a foundation that organized trips abroad, Digi24.ro reported. The head of the association, who is also a teacher in Târgu Jiu, disappeared and his wife say she does not know of his whereabouts.

While returning from a trip to the United States, 72 children learned in a Milano airport, where they had a layover, that they did not have the tickets to return to Romania. Their parents paid for their return trip. Another 76 children and young encountered a similar situation in Tokyo.

The parents tried contacting the camp organizers, Young Partners For Civil Society Development Association, through their Facebook page but this had been closed. The page displayed a message communicating that all of the association’s projects were suspended.

The association charged each participant to the camps in the US and Japan some EUR 1,000 for accommodation and meals, the parents explained.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Ministry said it ordered an investigation at the association’s headquarters in Bucharest and Târgu Jiu, Mediafax reported. The association has not yet submitted to the ministry the paperwork needed to receive a tourism license, as required by current legislation. In 2017, the same association received a RON 30,000 (EUR 6,315) fine for organizing tourism activities without a license.

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