Romanian tourism dropped by 40% in six months, due to crisis

In the first six months of the year, tourism agencies recorded sales drop over the values estimated at the beginning of 2009. According to some sources Romanian tourism saw a staggering 40% drop comparative to the same period of last year.

Overall, the most affected segment was for external destinations, especially the ones that included charter travel, where the fill rate reached only 60%. This is also the reason why the Romanian market is now full of special tourism offers , like city break package.

The crisis also affected the consumer’s behavior which became more responsive to special offers and last minute offers. They also turned to cheaper destinations and to individual tourism.

On the upside, the deluxe tourism segment doesn’t show signs of recession. Companies report a 50% increase compared to last year. The World Tourism Organization revised to 6% it’s drop estimates for the year in course.