Arrivals and overnight stays in Romania dropped in Q1 2009

In the first quarter of 2009, arrivals in accommodation facilities in Romania dropped 15.9%, while overnight stays decreased by 20.6% compared to the same period last year, shows a release of the National Institute of Statistics, INS.

The arrivals in accommodation facilities registered approximately 1,082,000 in Q1, out of which 79% were Romanian tourists and 21% were foreigners. 

Arrivals in hotels accounted for 72.6% of the total, dropping 17.1% compared to the first quarter in 2008.

In the first three months of the year, the registered overnight stays in accommodation facilities were approximately of 2,316,000, dropping 20.6% compared to the first quarter of 2008.

Arrivals of foreign visitors in Romania, registered at border crossing points were of approximately 1,485,000 in Q1 2009, decreasing by 13.8% compared to the similar period in 2008. The main region generating foreign tourists is Europe, accounting for 95.7% of the arrivals. As regards the distribution of arrivals by EU countries Hungary ranks first with 39.5%, followed by Bulgaria with 21.3%, Italy with 8.4% and Germany with 7.8%.

Moreover, in the analyzed period, the airline transport registered the highest decrease by 18.3%, compared to the same period in 2008.

Regarding the departures of Romanian citizens abroad in the first quarter of the current year 2,606,000 persons were registered, dropping 3.9%, compared to the first quarter in 2008.

The main mean of transport abroad was road transport, accounting for 79.5% of the departures.

According to the data of INS, in March 2009 compared to the same period in 2008, decreases were registered both of foreign tourists’ arrivals at border crossing points, by 12% and of departures of Romanian tourist abroad, by 0.2%. 

In March 2009, arrivals and overnight stays in accommodation facilities registered decreases by 17.4%, respectively by 21.9%, compared to the same period last year.

Thus, arrivals registered in March 2009 approximately 382,000 persons, of which 77.1% were Romanian tourists and 22.9% were foreigners.

Overnight stays registered in accommodation facilities in March 2009 were of approximately 828,000 persons, dropping 21.9% compared to March 2008, out of which Romanian tourists accounted for 78.4% and foreign tourists accounted for 21.6%.

Arrivals of foreign tourists in Romania registered at border crossing points were of approximately 531,000 persons in March 2009, by 12% lower than compared to the same month in 2008.

At the same time, departures of Romanians abroad registered 868,000, dropping 0.2% compared to March 2008.

Road transport was the most common mean of transport of Romanians leaving abroad, accounting for 79.7% of the total number of departures. 

Sursa: Bloom Biz [05.05.2009], Daily Business [05.05.2009], Evenimentul Zilei [05.05.2009], Money Channel [05.05.2009], Wall-Street [05.05.2009]