Itaa‚¬a„¢s snowing offers! Winter tourism breaks the ice

Newsroom 22/11/2010 | 11:26

Ever since their first years of school, Romanian children are taught that their country has been blessed with a landscape that has it all – mountains, seaside, a delta, plains and hills. This means that, theoretically, domestic tourism should be flourishing, with Black Sea beaches packed in summer and the mountains alive with bonfires during winter. Although the picture is not quite like this and many Romanians opt for holidays abroad – sometimes  for lower prices and better services – the local authorities are doing their best to revive domestic tourism. And, who knows, if properly managed, the crisis just might be the opportunity to lure Romanian tourists back to their country and foreigners away from theirs!

 

Corina Dumitrescu

 

With the purpose of encouraging domestic tourism, the National Association of Travel Agencies in Romania, ANAT, began the Early Registrations program in 2009, consisting of package holidays sold at a discount of up to 20 percent if purchased by December 1, 2010, Traian Badulescu, spokesperson for ANAT, told Business Review. The most popular destinations have so far been mountain resorts in Valea Prahovei, Predeal and Brasov, for spending Christmas, New Year’s Eve or simply winter holidays until February 28, 2011, added the ANAT representative. Next on the preference list in the Early Registrations program are spa resorts (Covasna, Baile Olanesti) and rural tourism (Maramures, Marginimea Sibiului, Moieciu).

The winter edition of the Early Registrations program attracted around 50 hotels, of two, three or four stars, in mountain resorts (Arieseni, Busteni, Gura Humorului, Poiana Brasov, Predeal, Sinaia), spa destinations (Baile Olanesti, Covasna), rural areas (Maramures, Bucovina, Marginimea Sibiului, Bran-Moieciu, Valea Mare), as well as the seaside (Eforie Nord, Mamaia).

In the same vein, at the start of October, ANAT organized the Winter Holiday Fair, attended by the minister of tourism and regional development, Elena Udrea. The ministry had its own section at the fair with some of Romania’s best known resorts, Sarata Monteoru, Geoagiu Bai and Techirghiol, ranking as “Romanian touristic destinations of excellence”, according to a press release from the association.

Looking to the 2010-2011 winter season, Badulescu said that ANAT expects its proportion of the tourism mix to be similar to 2009, with the period making up 30 percent of the touristic year’s total value. However, overall revenue may decrease by 10 percent this year, due to price reductions and special offers, added the ANAT spokesperson. In 2009, travel firms across Romania recorded a turnover of EUR 700 million, according to ANAT data.

An increase in touristic demand is expected at Christmas time, both at home (a total of around 100,000 tourists for the entire festive season) and abroad (around 35,000 for the same period). The reason behind this is “Romanians’ recent habit of traveling with the family at Christmas, as well as the lower prices charged at this time of the year, compared to New Year’s Eve”, explained Badulescu.

The ANAT representative said that, on the whole, 2010 is expected to see an estimated 10 percent drop in revenue compared to 2009, the first crisis year, and, Badulescu added, “Special offers and early bookings promoted by tourism agencies have saved the situation.”

Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism officials described the special offers from the association as “an anti-crisis measure for hotel representatives, an opportunity for tourists and a potential success for ANAT”. But in terms of expectations for the 2010-2011 winter season, ministry representatives were more reserved, stating that, “With winter tourism, the weather’s whims weigh more than for summer tourism. We hope we will have enough snow this winter, exactly the right amount to be able to generate tourism.”

The recent investments made by the Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism in Romania’s new touristic brand use the “Explore the Carpathian Garden” slogan. Officials say that the focus is on the Carpathian Mountains as one of Romania’s key competitive advantages, yet not specifically during winter. However, a country’s key touristic attraction lies in the price-quality ratio it offers.

Ministry officials add that it is not in their power to attract more tourists, “it is all in the hands of Romanian hoteliers.” The ministry has however invested in recreational infrastructure, though an extensive program encompassing ski slopes, access routes and rescue stations. No similar program has been developed in twenty years, say officials, and the first results will be tested by tourists at Valea Prahovei, Cavnic and Vatra Dornei, starting this winter.

The arrival of foreign visitors to Romania has risen slightly in the first eight months of 2010, compared to the same period in 2009, say ministry officials – by 3.9 percent, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics. Most of the tourists come from Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy and Poland. From research into the new touristic brand, it appears that what foreigners value in Romania are authenticity, landscape and the beauty of natural sites. Therefore, more focus should now be put on rural tourism, especially in times of traditional celebrations, continue the officials.

Tourism agencies and associations maintain a more balanced perspective about the current situation of national tourism. Bogdan Papuc, of the Association of Ecotourism in Romania, believes that the accomodation fees have not suffered major decreases during winter, but have been on this tendency all throughout the year. Ecotourism is not, however, as Papuc states, a seasonal activity, since “only the activities of nature-related tourism suffer changes depending on  season. Thus, during winter, cross-country skiing can be done or ski touring, snowshoe walking, wildlife observation  (one can see traces much better and easier on the snow), light hiking, sleigh rides or even the observation of birds wintering in Romania. These activities are held throughout the country, near protected areas. Such areas are: Tara Dornelor, Tara Hategului, Danube Delta, Northern Dobrogea – Macin, Tusnad Area, Tarnavelor Plateau – Saxon Area ( Zona Saseasca), Piatra Craiului Area, Maramures, Apuseni Mountains”.

Sorina Zlatan, travel agent at Selectour, sees demand for small or medium-sized boarding houses and villas decreasing across Romania. Bran and its surroundings rank as one of the most sought after winter locations. She adds that Romanians now, in the context of the crisis, seem keener on special offers and “have fallen under the spell of the internet, which is not always updated”. On this note, Zlatan relates a personal experience, when she made an online reservation for a hotel abroad, for which even though she had received confirmation and a voucher, when she reached the destination, turned out to be closed.

Zlatan ranks summer as tourists’ season of preference. When it comes to winter sports, most holidaymakers prefer to go abroad, where “the infrastructure is better developed, the quality of services is superior and prices are lower than here.” The Selectour representative adds that the occupancy rate of local hotels has fallen by at least ten percent.

Although the crisis is blamed as the source of all evil these days, Zlatan does not consider it the main factor in the losses suffered by domestic tourism. The true reason is “the price-quality ratio of services, the lack of promotion, so-so improvements in accommodation services, the lack of creation of more spaces for quality entertainment and everyone’s touristic education, whether employees or tourists.”

Hotels’ price cuts are a promising sign, continues Zlatan, “as long as the quality of services is maintained”. Occupancy rates depend on the hotel itself, the services supplied and the location. “There are locations at which accommodation is no longer available in November and December, regardless of the day of the week,” adds Zlatan.

She concludes, “Romania has a lot to recuperate tourism-wise. Which country wouldn’t want to have a landscape like Romania’s? What countries have the chance of a delta, sea and mountainside? It’s our duty to make them known, to create tradition in tourism.”

 

Top domestic destinations sold through ANAT tourism agencies:

 

1. Mountain tourism (hotels and villas in Valea Prahovei, Predeal, Poiana Brasov, Bran-Moieciu, Borsa, Arieseni, Paltinis, Campulung Moldovenesc);

2. Spa holidays (Baile Felix, Calimanesti-Caciulata, Vatra Dornei, Buzias, Covasna, Baile Herculane, Baile Govora etc.);

3. Rural tourism (Bran Moieciu, Maramures, Bucovina, Marginimea Sibiului, Vrancea, Apuseni);

4. City breaks (Bucharest, Brasov, Arad, Timisoara, Constanta, Oradea, Iasi etc.);

5. Seaside holidays (Mamaia, Mangalia, Eforie Nord).

 

Top foreign destinations sold through ANAT tourism agencies:

 

1. Winter holidays (Austria – number one winter destination, Bulgaria – number two winter destination, France, Italy, Switzerland, Slovakia and Slovenia);

2. Mediterranean and seaside destinations (Egypt, Dubai, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Bulgaria, Israel, Mediterranean cruises);

3. European cities (Paris, Vienna, Barcelona, Prague, Rome, Budapest, Athens, Amsterdam, London, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan);

4. Luxury and exotic destinations (the Dominican Republic, Finland and Lapland, Thailand, Cuba, Brazil, Mauritius, the Maldives, Caribbean, Mexico, ocean cruises).

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