Number of foreign visitors to Romania down 14 pc in seven months
Nine O’Clock – Sept. 4, 2009
by Monica Apostol

The arrivals registered by the tourist accommodation structures during January 1–July 31, 2009 totaled 3.45 million, down 13.6 per cent over those from the same period of the previous year. The arrivals of Romanian tourists totaled 79.2 per cent of the total, while the foreign tourists represented 20.8 per cent (690,000). The tourists spent 9.3 million nights in the tourism accommodation structures during January 1–July 31, down 16.9 per cent against the same period of the past year. The nights spent by the Romanian tourists accounted for 83.8 per cent of the total number of nights.

The arrival of foreign visitors in Romania (most multiple entry citizens from neighboring countries), registered at the check points, amounted to 4.29 M in the first seven months, down 13.9 per cent, while naval transport registered in the analyzed period, compared to the same period of the previous year, the biggest fall, of 19.7 per cent.

The departures of Romanian visitors abroad, registered at the check points, amounted to 6.8 M, down 3.3 per cent. The arrivals registered by the tourist accommodation structures in July 2009 totaled 809,000, down 10.9 per cent over those from July 2008. The arrivals of Romanian tourists in the accommodation structures represented in July 83.3 per cent of the total number of arrivals, while the foreign tourists represented 16.7 per cent. The arrivals of foreign visitors to Romania, registered at the border check points, rose to 847,000 in July 2009, down 18.6 per cent vs. July 2008.