Just when things seemed to get better for the Romanian tourism sector, this time, with the newly formed government, the travel industry is out of luck. Tourism seems to have been lost on the way as the name does not appear in any ministry of the new government proposed by Prime Minister Dacian Cioloș.
So what will happen to the tourism sector in 2016? Everyone is now on the stand by. Travel agencies and Romanian Syndicates worry that things will slow down dramatically and that the Project regarding the Law on Tourism or the measures taken in 2015 (such as reduction of VAT on tourist packages to 9% and the release of holiday vouchers) will slow down, badly.
The last 6 years have been hard for tourism especially since the official name of the ministry kept changing. So did the ministers designated to handle this sector. Until 20 days ago tourism was part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Tourism led by Minister Mihai Tudose. Now we have the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business Environment led by Costin Grigore Borc but tourism dissapered along the way. As a first reaction the Federation of Romanian Tourism Employers (FPTR) sent a press release stating that “this area deserves, if not a ministry by itself, then to appear as part of one of the existent ministries, as has happened so far “. The concern for the current situation requires an official insurance, FPTR expressing hope that the” new economy minister will continue what Mr. Mihai Tudose started, working on all the points mentioned in the cooperation protocol between FPTR , the Ministry and the Romanian National Authority for Tourism”.
Meanwhile the 34 th edition of Romania’s Tourism Fair ended last week with more than 17,000 visitors in 4 days. Travel agencies offering packages and promotions for winter-holidays, ski resorts, Easter 2016 and summer vacantions registered a 60% rate in sales. More than 200 companies greeted visitors with significant discounts between 35-50%. Also present at the fair the president of the Romanian National Authority for Tourism (ANT) Anca Pavel- Nedea assured that the Law on Tourism will be approved by March 2016.
“The target is for te project to be finalized by the end of the year and have the law approved until 31 March 2016 (…). The law was sent to all associations of the travel & leisure industry. It will be uploaded on the website for a public debate “said the ANT President
In September, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Tourism announced that the project for the Tourism Law will suffer modifications, after receiving comments from tourism organizations and the Federation of Romanian Tourism Employers (FPTR ) asking to change the entire document, as it was incoherent and in breach of the Constitution.
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