Kiwi.com: Where did Romanians travel this summer?

Kiwi.com, a travel-tech company, shares traveling data regarding an overview of Romanians’ summer vacations booked on the platform. According to data from Kiwi.com, the number of bookings made by Romanians for June, July, and August increased by over 39%, compared to bookings for the summer of 2022.

Romanian summer travel choices have spotlighted European countries once again. The top five picks for getaways were Italy, Spain, the UK, Germany, and France, showing only minor shifts from last year’s preferences.

European city exploration was a highlight this summer for the Romanians. The most sought-after destinations booked through Kiwi.com included London, Milan, Rome, Brussels, and Paris, just as last year. Additionally, cities like Vienna, Dublin, and Barcelona captured their interest. Notably, Bucharest’s airport was the starting point for most Romanian travelers venturing abroad.

In terms of booking patterns, as per Kiwi.com’s data, while 34% of Romanians diligently planned and secured their summer accommodations between 3 weeks to 2 months in advance, many demonstrated an affinity for spontaneous city getaways. Approximately 15% of travelers opted for bookings within 3 days of departure, followed by 9% securing their plans 4 to 6 days ahead, and another 15% reserving 1 to 2 weeks prior. However, in comparison to the previous year, there is a clear trend indicating that Romanians are now booking their trips earlier. In 2022, the average booking window (the time in advance travelers book their flights) was 25 days, while this year it is seven days more – now averaging 32 days prior to departure.

When it came to the length of vacations, over half of the bookings reflected a preference for extended journeys, with 30% opting for stays spanning 1 to 2 weeks, and an additional 31% choosing vacation periods of 4 to 6 days. However, 29% of Romanian travelers chose city breaks of up to 3 days. What is interesting is that this year, individuals have opted to extend their vacation stays compared to 2022, during which the majority of Romanians leaned towards booking last-minute city breaks.

When considering the prices Romanians paid for their vacations, despite the anticipated rise in flight prices during the peak season, the average increase was only 9% compared to the previous year. If we delve into the flight categories, specifically the medium-haul flights covering distances between 1500 km and 3999 km, the increase was even more moderate at 5%.

Romanians do like to create long lasting memories while traveling, therefore the end of summer is not the end of their desire to see the world. According to booking data from Kiwi.com the top ten destinations they are planning to visit this autumn are: Italy, Spain, the UK, France, Greece, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Turkey, and Israel. Similarly to their summer travel behaviour, they are inclined towards longer stays with the majority – 34% – opting for stays from 4 to 6 days, and another 30%, choosing stays lasting 1 to 2 weeks.

In terms of pricing, there is a drop of 13% on average compared to summer season. Short-haul tickets are 17.2% cheaper, medium-haul tickets have seen a reduction of 13.6%, and long-haul are 25.4% more affordable.