The new president of the National Association of Romanian Travel Agencies (ANAT) for the period 2026-2028 is Cristian Bărhălescu, director of a tour operator from Constanta. He was elected, on Monday, by the General Assembly of the organization.
Cristian Bărhălescu, director of the Icar Tours agency in Constanța, was elected president of ANAT, after the retirement of Alin Burcea.
“I took on the role of president of ANAT. For me, it is more than a position – it is a responsibility towards an industry in which I have been involved for decades, both through Icar Tours Constanța and as president of ANAT Sud-Est. I do not come with big promises, but with a real willingness to work, to dialogue and with the desire to set things in motion, together with all my colleagues from the Board of Directors, from the executive and with those who want to get involved“, declared Bărălescu.
The new ANAT management team
The position of first vice-president was occupied by Diana Iluț, the president of the Destination Management Organization (OMD) Maramureș.
Vice-presidents were elected: Marius Berca (Christian Tour), Valeriu Claudiu Ștefan (Velmar Dreams Pitesti), Adrian Voican (Bibi Group4Travel).
The ANAT Board of Directors is completed by several important representatives of the industry, including Ioana Burcea (Paralela 45), Cristian Vlad (Eximtur Făgăraș), Lucian Boronea (Accent Travel & Events), Claudiu-Andrei Chirilov (Laguna Tour Constanța), Aurelian Marin (Paradis Vacanțe de Vis), Mădălina Nicolescu (Olimpic International), Dan Anghelescu (La Piovra Turista) and George Cioceanu (TravelFuse).
An experienced leader
Cristian Bărhălescu is one of the well-known names in Romanian tourism, with a long career in both the private and public spheres. As the owner and manager of Icar Tours, he contributed to the constant development of the travel agency sector in Romania.
Between 2012 and 2013, he held the position of Secretary of State for Tourism within the Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism, during which Romania held the presidency of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), strengthening the international visibility of the sector.
Currently, Bărhălescu represents ANAT Romania within ECTAA (European Association of Travel Agencies and Tour Operators), contributing to the European dialogue in the industry.
Alin Burcea founded ANAT in 1990.
“A stage is ending, I am retiring in glory, but at the same time, I am leaving room for the change of generations. 36 years ago I had a dream and founded ANAT, and today I dream that a new generation will continue this path. We must be strong, get involved, because the state is becoming weaker and more disinterested. Only the private environment brings prosperity!”said the honorary president of ANAT, Alin Burcea, former president of the organization in 1990-1993, 2016-2018 and 2024-2026 and the founder of the Paralela 45 tour operator.
