December 16, 2022, 10:39AM GMT+0200
|
34 views
Laura-Georgiana Cioba Business
The number of last-minute bookings for Christmas and New Year’s mini-vacations increased by a third compared to last year, according to an analysis by Nordis Travel.
According to statistics, most of the Romanians who do not want to stay at home for Christmas will spend the holidays in tourist resorts in the country, over 60% of them preferring destinations such as Poiana Brașov or Predeal, Maramureș (the top is Săpânța) or resorts in Moldova, with accommodation mainly in private villas. Costs start from 500 euros and can reach up to 1,500 euros per person for a four-night stay.
“The most was paid for a vacation at a mansion in Transylvania: 55,000 euros for four nights (20 people). The record of the season is a package of 70,000 euros, paid by a couple for ten days in Asia. It’s a good thing that in the current economic context, Romanians travel and find budgets to spend nice time with family and friends at Christmas and New Year”, explains Anca Drugan, CEO of Nordis Travel.
The representatives of Nordis Travel, a tour operating agency focused on tailor-made holidays, which made an analysis of the holidays prepared for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, say that this year Romanian tourists prefer last-minute bookings (30% more than last year) and shorter holidays , to fit into the budget, but without sacrificing comfort and quality.
Lapland, chosen by 15% of them, is in second place in the list of preferred destinations, said representatives of the Nordis Travel agency. A 4-night stay in Santa Claus Country, for two adults and a child, costs around 7,000 euros. The package includes air tickets, accommodation with breakfast included, husky sleigh rides, festive dinner and a visit from Santa (who arrives in a reindeer sleigh and gives gifts to the children).
Third in order of preferences are exotic destinations; 25% of Romanian tourists chose destinations such as Dubai, the Maldives or Thailand.
70,000 euros, the most expensive New Year’s Eve
As for New Year’s Eve, only 35%% of Romanian tourists chose to spend New Year’s Eve in the country, in resorts on Prahova Valley, Maramureș or Moldova. Most preferred destinations abroad, for which they allocated budgets starting from 1,000 euros per person for a city break in Europe (in cities in Spain, Portugal or France), respectively in Turkey or Egypt. For destinations like Dubai or the Maldives, New Year’s starts from 2,000 euros and can even reach 10,000 euros per person. Exotic destinations such as the Maldives, Mauritius, Thailand, Aruba, Bonair, Curacao or Costa Rica are also highly sought after. As for those who want to ski, Switzerland, Italy, France and Austria remain at the top of their preferences.
“There is also a tendency to choose Africa, a destination still very little known here, with countries like Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe or South Africa, especially since it is in the same time zone as Romania and the season is just starting warm, with its generous climate”, emphasizes Anca Drugan.
The New Year’s holiday record is held this year by a couple who paid 70,000 euros for a 10-day holiday in Asia. The package included a tour of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam, luxury hotel accommodation with all services included, and business class flight.
