The Romanian tourism is in the deadlock, the figures showing a decrease in the arrivals of Romanian tourists in the first two months of summer and a slight increase in the interest of foreigners. The situation did not recover in August. Figures in the same note in the mountain and in the Danube Delta, and the rectification signs are missing.
Fewer Romanians than in 2024 chose to spend their holidays on our coast in the first two months of summer, shows the figures of the National Institute of Statistics, these being confirmed by the analysis of a tour operator. In June and July, there was a decrease by 4.2%, respectively 4.4%, compared to June and July 2024. Instead, 7.2% more foreign tourists came in June, compared to June 2024, but the increase being only 0.6% for July.
For those who did not have holiday time, the Danube Delta is still a photo version: O. Oprea
“Although the INS data covers only the beginning of the summer season (June and July), the information centralized by Bibi Touroperator provides a complete perspective on the entire summer, including August. According to them, the summer season 2025 ended with a national decrease, similar to the one indicated by the NIS, compared to the same period of 2024. Even though the first months of the year have increased 10%, we are currently at a critical point, below the level registered last year. Although the “Coast for all” program maintains the active holidays in September, over 95% of the data of the season are already consolidated, outlining a clear image of its evolution”, Shows an analysis of the tour-operator.
How much the tourists paid on the Romanian coast
The Romanian coast has put up 4,900 classified units this season and almost 155,000 authorized accommodation. However, the data shows a 4.2% decrease in reservations, for summer 2025, compared to the previous year. Tourists paid, on average, 1,136 lei/stay, 3.4% more than in 2024, the average length of stay being 4.6 nights.
About 60% of the reservations concentrated in the resorts: Mamaia Nord, Jupiter, Saturn and Eforie Nord. The Romanians looked for the best included stays, the requirements for hotels with all inclusive being 10% higher, while the unchanged units or those that did not keep up with the market price stagnated or lost tourists.
To the mountains – rates as in 2024, slight increase in average stay
At the mountain, the prices practiced by the hoteliers were comparable to those of 2024, “With moderate adjustments”, shows the tour operator. Tourists who have allowed a holiday and chose a mountain resort from us in the country have slightly increased their residence. The spa tourism increased by 2% compared to 2024, instead the mountain area as a whole registered a decrease by 9%. The rate per stay reached the level of 590 lei/person in the mountain areas and 1,219 lei/person in the spa resorts, marking an increase of 6.5% compared to the previous year, given that the average length of stay increased, from 3.7 nights to 3.9 nights on the Balneo segment, while the mountain area recorded 3 nights. Sinaia, Predeal and Poiana Brașov cumulated 55% of the reservations, and on the spa segment the most requested resorts were Băile Felix, Sovata and Băile Herculane (64%).
10% drop in the Danube Delta
The Danube Delta did not enjoy the interest of last year, when the increase compared to the previous year was 12%. In 2025, despite the more accessible tariffs, below 2024, reservations decreased by 10%. The hopes are that the attractive price will make the situation recover by the end of the year, the Danube Delta being a spectacular destination regardless of the season.
In the Danube Delta, the average duration of the stay was 3 nights, with an average rate of 799 lei/person/stay, down 4.65% compared to last year, when the tariff was 838 lei/person/stay.
Tourists who chose in 2025 The Danube Delta opted for: Murighiol, Sulina, Mahmudia and Sfântu Gheorghe, destinations that totaled 63% of the total Tour-operator reservations.
What is missing for the Danube Delta to be even more attractive? A more varied tourist offer, containing tables included, experiences, easy and safe access, local events. There is also a need for an intensified promotion campaign, I think the tourism specialists.
Great cities decreased in options, rural destinations earn land
The short holidays, shows the tour operator, also registered a decrease by 10% compared to the 2024 season, and the main causes would be to increase the costs for accommodation and transport and the overcrowding of the big cities in the summer months. The negative impact also had the cancellation of major events. In addition, the external offers of airlines and the inclusion with the terrestrial borders in the Schengen area have caused more and more Romanian tourists to travel abroad. The most sought after internal destinations were, in the summer 2025: Cluj-Napoca, Oradea, Brașov, Sibiu, Bucharest and Sighișoara.
Adventure Tourism and Rural Tourism Earn Photo Land: Ovidu Oprea
Great increases are observed instead on the ecotourism segment and outdoor recreational activities, with such organized programs registering a 30% increase in the number of participants compared to 2025. Tourists have taken the taste of bicycle rides, educational workshops and adventure experiences. Rural tourism also registered an increase of 17%, Bucovina, Maramureș and the Danube boilers being the favorite destinations.
Where the foreigners tourists came
In the season in which fewer Romanians spent vacations in the country compared to last year, Incoming tourism has instead experienced a significant increase. Most foreign tourists came to: Bucharest, Brașov, Cluj and Sibiu, but also on the Prahova Valley, in Maramureș, in Bucovina and Transylvania. According to the Tour operator data, the growth on this segment was 15%, most of the tourists arriving from France, UK and Poland, and the explanation would be participation in the past years, but also this year, at international profile fairs in Paris, Warsaw and London.
Diminishing the value of holiday vouchers and VAT growth, major impact
The not -so -focused figures in internal tourism are the result of combinations of factors, say tourism specialists. The increase of VAT and the decrease of the value of the holiday vouchers had a major impact. The decrease of the purchasing power of the Romanians, the tax instability, the blocking or delay of the infrastructure projects and the contraction of the Horeca sector were added.
According to the data of the Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism (mediated), the value of the holiday vouchers used by 66% in the first 7 months of the year, given that in previous years they have just supported the tourism, helping to increase the number of holidays in Romania and to the removal of the service.
As for the shy growth of incoming tourism (arrival of foreign tourists in Romania), the explanation would be the absence of a coherent promotion strategy and the presence more than modest at the tourism fairs. This situation is aggravated by the absence of a destination management body (OMD) at national level and the lack of a government structure dedicated exclusively to tourism, with professionals in the field, attract the attention of industry representatives.
“The summer season 2025 was marked by economic challenges. Although we registered modest increases, the expenses were higher, and the increased taxation affected both tourists and operators. Incoming was the only segment with a constant growth, and investments in hotels with full services and premium SPA offer hope for the future. Winter reservations are increasing, and offers for coast 2026 are already launched, with emphasis on All Inclusive packages and festivals ”, said Adrian Voican, vice -president of the National Association of Travel Agencies (ANAT) and president of Bibi Group4travel.
The prices for the summer season 2026, announced at this time, are kept at the level of season 2025, but in the hospitality industry there are great concerns. The possible increase of the VAT rate and the maintenance at the current level of the value of the holiday vouchers, despite the small changes made by Law no. 141 of July 25, 2025, whose application rules have not yet appeared, would put high pressure on the industry. For this reason, the voices in the sector are calling on solidarity and continuing to adapt to market requirements.
Fewer Romanian tourists on the coast than last year Photo: Ovidiu Oprea
“What will be we will see, but it is clear that the Government of Romania, the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship, Digitization and Tourism must do something to appear and incentives, to start the engines for Romanian tourism, both for Romanian tourists in Romania and for foreign tourists in Romania, because we can register an extremely 10% contribution to 10%. Tourism in the coming years ”said Voican.
This year the hospitality industry hoped to exceed the number of 2.7 million foreign tourists coming to Romania, a figure registered in 2019, but realistic evaluations indicate that this objective is increasingly difficult to reach.
