The number of Christmas packages sold in Romania this year has increased by a quarter compared to the same period in 2015, according to data from tourism agency Paravion, cited by local News.ro.

The cheapest packages Romanians bought for this Christmas are for European cities, according to Remus Visan, general manager Paravion. These packages were mainly popular among Romanians aged 25-40, who were willing to pay an average of EUR 300 per person per holiday.

Some of the most popular European destinations are Prague, Rome, and Barcelona, but Romanians also started choosing tours of several European capitals.

When it comes to New Year’s Eve, the number of Romanians who want to spend it in exotic places such as the Maldives of Thailand also increased significantly compared to previous years.

The cheapest New Year’s Eve packages were the ones for Rome, which were booked early for prices of EUR 220 per person for a five-day stay. Other less expensive choices were the ones for Prague – EUR 400 per person, and Barcelona – EUR 550 per person.

“On the other hand, the most expensive New Year's holiday chosen by a Romanian had a value of EUR 2,000 per person, the destination being Bali. The client wanted all-inclusive services at a five-star hotel, and a seven-day stay. The cost was paid in full for two people,” Remus Visan said.

In general, for New Year’s Eve holidays in Europe, the Romanians spend an average of EUR 650 per person, while the cost of trips to Asia or Africa goes over EUR 1,000 per person.

A survey conducted on Facebook by Wizz Tours shows that 72% of the Romanians who spend their winter holidays abroad prefer exotic destinations, and not so much ski resorts. Some 87% of Romanian respondents said they would like to go abroad this winter, and 84% stated that they would go by plane. The Polish and Hungarian respondents gave similar answers.

When it comes to domestic destinations, almost all accommodation places in mountain and spa resorts and in rural areas are booked, more than 300,000 Romanian tourists being expected to spend the winter holiday there, reports News.ro. For Christmas, Romanians mainly prefer Bran-Moieciu, Maramures, Bucovina, Neamt, Marginimea Sibiului or Oltenia regions, but the also mountain resorts and the cities with Christmas markets, such as Sibiu, Timisoara, Iasi, and Bucharest.

For New Year’s Eve, Prahova Valley (which includes Sinaia, Busteni, Azuga, and Predeal mountain resorts) and Brasov county are the most popular destinations among Romanians. Next in the top come other mountain resorts, the spa resorts, and the rural areas.

The tour operators estimate that 20% more tourists would spend their winter holidays in Romania this year, compared to the same period in 2015.

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Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com