Romanians spent around EUR 15 million on their New Year's Eve break in Romania's resorts in 2011, which was down 17 percent on 2010, according to the country's Tourism Employers Federation. The amounts spent on holidays abroad dropped by a third, to some EUR 2.8 million. The short leave from work – as both Christmas and the New Year's Eve were celebrated during the week-end, a decrease in purchasing power and various offers from clubs and restaurants were the main reasons for the drop.

Over 74,000 Romanians bought tourism packages to spend their holidays in the country – down 5 percent on 2010 and down by a quarter on 2009. Only 6,200 tourists chose to spend their holidays abroad – a drop of 33 percent on 2010 and half compared to 2009. The drop in the number of tourists who went abroad for Christmas and New Year's Eve occurred despite lower tariffs for destinations like Greece, Turkey, Spain or France.

Not only the number of tourists dropped during the last holidays season, but the volume of their spending also went down. However, the average occupancy rate in the mountain resorts on the Prahova Valley reached 90 percent. Many of those who used to go to mountain resorts in previous years chose to spend the New Year's Eve at a restaurant in their home town.

Mountain areas were the host for 18,000 people on New Year's Eve, while the country's rural areas were chosen by a similar number of Romanian tourists. Hotels in large cities hosted 20,000 other people. Only 500 went to the country's seaside and 200 to the Danube Delta. Other 18,000 people chose to spend their holidays in spa resorts.

As for destinations abroad, Austria, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and France were the top choices.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Photoxpress.com)