Some 165,000 Romanians chose to welcome the new year 2017 away from home, either in local or foreign holiday destinations. They spent some EUR 40 million, according to data from the Romanian Tourism Employers Federation (FPTR) quoted by local Profit.ro.

Almost 155,000 Romanian tourists went to local resorts and rural guesthouses on their New Year’s Eve holidays, where they spent some RON 155 million (EUR 34 million). The number of tourists went up by 7% and the sums they spent were 8% higher than last year.

Rural tourism led in booking preferences, with 55,000 tourists spending the end-of-the-year holiday in rural guesthouses, a 5% year-on-year increase. Mountain resorts attracted 38,000 tourists, up 5% on 2015, while over 29,000 Romanians chose spa resorts, a 3.5% year-on-year increase. The Danube Delta also attracted a higher number of tourists, while sea side resorts did not.

The most popular local destinations were Prahova Valley, Poiana Brașov, Păltiniș, Rânca, Straja, Călimănești, and Băile Felix, and the rural areas of Bran-Moieciu, Maramureș, and Bucovina.

The accommodation demand in the local mountain resorts on Prahova Valley and in Poiana Brașov was two times higher than the supply over the Christmas and New Year’s period, according to FPTR data.

Some 38,000 Romanians spent their New Year’s Eve holiday in hotels in big cities, including Bucharest, 16% more than last year.

The number of Romanians going abroad for the New Year’s Eve holiday also went up. Almost 10,000 tourists booked international holidays through local travel agencies, 22% more compared to 2015. They spent over EUR 6 million on tourist services, a 23% year-on-year increase. Ski and winter sports destinations in Austria, France, Italy, Slovenia, and Bulgaria were the most popular.

editor@romania-insider.com