Romania expects growth of tourists from China: official

Romania may register, in the following period, a growing number of tourists from China and the Republic of Moldova, President of the National Authority for Tourism, Razvan Filipescu, told a local Travel Forum Thursday.

"We pay special attention to incoming tourism, since it may become the heart of the economy," said the official, specifying that the authorities "struggle to promote Romanian tourism abroad with all the funds available, including TV campaigns in collaboration with international broadcasters."

"We will support Romania's participation in over 40 international tourism fairs," Filipescu added.

According to him, the authority also has discussions with tour operators on their concerns, including reducing VAT on tourism services, law of holiday vouchers and other measures to boost domestic tourism.

Filipescu told the forum that current statistics show a positive development of the tourism industry in Romania.

"The figures show a positive trend of tourism, an increase of 9.8 percent in the first quarter of 2014, compared to the same period of 2013. There was an increase in the number of tourists from Israel, Poland, Serbia, the United States and Canada," he explained.

Visa difficulties and inadequate transport infrastructure are among the main obstacles which affect the rapid growth of Chinese tourists in Romania, a local travel company official told Xinhua reporter.

According to the National Statistics Institute, the arrivals of foreign tourists to Romania, registered at the customs, amounted to some 8 million in 2013, slightly up compared to the previous year. Most of the foreigners came from European countries, namely 93.9 percent.

Arrivals in tourist accommodation units in Romania amounted to 7.9 million in 2013, up 3.5 percent year-on-year, showed the same source.

The arrivals of Romanian tourists represented 78.3 percent of the total, while foreign tourists' arrivals were 21.7 percent.

Romania, situated in the north of the Balkan Peninsula on the western shores of the Black Sea, enjoys great natural beauty and diversity and a rich cultural heritage, enchanting visitors with its scenic mountain landscapes and unspoiled countryside areas.