The number of Moldovan tourists who spent the winter holidays at mountain resorts in Romania decreased by almost 30% following the economic and political crisis in Moldova and the abolition of the visa requirements for Moldovans by the EU, IPN reports.
According to the Tourism Promotion Federation of Moldova and the Federation of Tourism Promotion Associations of Romania, about 12,000 Moldovans vacationed in Romanian mountain resorts between December 1, 2015 and January 10, 2016.
The Romanian Federation’s head Corina Martin said the non-promotion of the Romanian holiday destinations is a reason for the decline in the number of Moldovan tourists in Romania. “Regardless of the effects of the crisis on the vacation budgets of the Moldovans, Romania is consistently and worrisomely slipping in the holiday preferences of the Moldovan tourists and this is a direct consequence of the non- promotion of Romanian destinations on the market in Moldova,” she stated.
Alexandru Filipschi, head of the Tourism Promotion Federation of Moldova, considers the problems encountered when crossing the border over the last few years is another reason for the decline. “The fact that a bus with Moldovan tourists stays in a customs post for six hours – at least 15 buses daily between January 2 and 6 each year – causes the tourists’ wish to vacation in Romanian mountain resorts to diminish or even to disappear,” he said.
Among the Romanian resorts that are most popular with Moldovans are: Poiana Brasov, Predeal, and Sinaia. The Moldovans also travel often to Bansko in Bulgaria, Vienna in Austria and Cortina D’Ampezzo in Italy. Ukraine’s Bucovel started to be popular again following the low prices and offers promoted in Moldova.
