Non-resident tourists arriving in Romania spend over 1.130 million lei in Q1

The total number of non-residents accommodated in collective tourist accommodation establishments in the first quarter of 2018 stood at 480,300, while their expenses amounted to 1,130.1 million lei, the National Institute of Statistics (INS) informed on Friday. 

The main reason for the sojourn of non-resident tourists in Romania in the first quarter of 2018 was related to business, as they participated in congresses, conferences, courses, fairs and exhibitions (63.4 percent of the total number of non-resident tourists) and their expenses accounting for 63.1 percent of the total. 

Second came non-residents tourists who traveled to Romania for private reasons (36.6 percent of the total number of non-resident tourists), a significant part of them spending their holiday here (63.4 percent). Travels for private reasons include travels to spend holiday, for shopping, to attend cultural and sports events, visits to friends and relatives, for getting medical treatment, for religion purposes, transit and other activities. 

Of the total expenditures during business travels, the highest share was spent on accommodation (52.5 percent), especially with breakfast included (90.3 percent). The money spent by non-resident tourists in restaurants and bars accounted for 17.3 percent and those on shopping accounted for 12.7 percent. Of the total purchases, 38.8 percent represented spending on gifts and souvenirs, followed by money spent on food and beverages 37.5 percent. The car rental expenses accounted for 50.7 percent of the total transport expenses and the expenses for access to amusement parks, fairs, casinos, games rooms accounted for 36.9 percent of the total spending of non-resident tourists on recreation. 

Of the total number of non-resident tourists who came to Romania, 52.3 percent organized their travel through travel agencies and 30.8 percent planned their travel themselves. 

The main means of transport used by non-resident tourists to arrive in Romania was the plane (82.2 percent of the total number of tourists). Private cars accounted for 12.7 percent, followed by buses 3.7 percent and other means (train, riverboats, rented cars, motorcycles etc.) 1.4 percent.