Tourism in the Winter Holidays

Romanians spent Christmas with their families or visiting various tourist sites

Corina Cristea, 27.12.2019, 14:00

Romanian tourists have changed
their preferences in recent years regarding the places they choose to spend the
winter holidays. More and more Romanians prefer to leave home and spend Christmas away, opting for various dynamic activities. There are those who
chose to spend Christmas abroad, heading for warm spots such as the Maldives,
Thailand, Zanzibar, Dubai, the Dominican Republic, Mexico or Egypt. Children’s
destinations such as Lapland or Disneyland, ranked second in terms of
preferences. The most sought-after destinations in the country were Bukovina,
Maramures, Baile Felix spa and the mountain resorts on Prahova Valley. Those
who wanted something different, longing for the joy of Christmas spent in the
old days, opted for guesthouses operating in peasant houses, some of them over
150 years old.

According to the National Association for Ecological, Rural and
Cultural Tourism in Romania (ANTREC), these houses observe the traditional wood
and stone architecture and are kept in mint condition, preserving an archaic
mood that is very hard to find, Livia Sima from the Maramures branch of ANTREC told
us. Another category of tourists opted for guesthouses located very close to
ski slopes in the mountains, even if this year we’ve had little to no snow.
Nevertheless snow cannons and night lighting facilities are operational. Customs
and traditions are associated at this time of the year with traditional food
and the occasional ride on the village alleys, either by horse-drawn carriage
or ATV. At the opposite pole, those who went to Baile Felix spa or similar
resorts could enjoy all the thermal water facilities offered. Tourism in
Romania reported a good evolution this year, not just around holidays, the
National Statistics Institute reports. The number of arrivals has gone up in
the first 9 months of the year by 4.4%, while some 20% of tourists were foreigners.
Over 2 million foreigners visited Romania in the first 9 months of the year,
spending some 1.15 billion euros, according to the National Statistics
Institute. Half of them traveled for business, taking part in conferences,
congresses, classes, trade fairs and exhibitions. Foreign tourists spent 50% of
their money on accommodation, preferring units that offered included breakfast.
Some 18% of the money was spent in restaurants and bars, while a little over
30% represented gifts and souvenirs.

(Translated by V. Palcu)