Foreign tourists spent in Romania almost 40 percent more this summer than in 2021

This year, Romanian tourism had an atypical evolution, but recorded a significant economic growth, if we refer to the volume of expenses made in the last two summer months. Global Payments, the largest provider of payment services and technology in the world, conducted an analysis of the amounts of money traded with the card in July-August 2022, compared to the same period of last year, from which it emerged that in the two summer months, 168.8 million RON were spent in Romania, compared to 155.2 million RON in 2021.

In total, Romanian, and foreign tourists spent 13.6 million RON more money on products and services than last summer, representing an 8.8 percent increase in card payments. Almost half of this capital surplus was generated by foreign tourists. In July-August 2022, they spent 20.5 million RON in Romania, compared to 14.8 million RON in the same period of 2021, with 5.7 million RON more (increase of 38.5 percent).

The foreign tourists who spent the most money in Romania were the British, who traded 3.8 million RON in this two summer months, almost 700 thousand RON more than in 2021.  The Germans also left 2.1 million RON, half a million more than last summer, and the Italians spent 1.8 million RON, over 400 thousand RON more than in the same period of 2021.

“Although we cannot necessarily talk about tourism, in the top of the expenses made by foreign citizens in Romania are also the Ukrainians, who spent in the two summer months nine times more money than last year, that is over 1.2 million RON, compared to 133 thousand RON, in 2021“, said Cătălin Moise,  Country Manager Global Payments, Romania.

In contrast, Russian citizens have hardly traveled to Romania at all, this summer. There were only three transactions made by them, with a total value of 45 RON. In 2021, in this two summer months, there were 1600 transactions made by Russian citizens, worth over 35 thousand RON.

Among the tourists who have made occasional card transactions in Romania are those from Uganda, Malawi, Bolivia, Tanzania, Paraguay, Myanmar, Senegal or Tajikistan. The smallest card payment was made by a citizen of Antigua and Barbuda, worth 1.6 RON.

Global Payments further analyzed the volume of card transactions made in cities, counties, or regions in Romania, in order to assess where the consumption needs were directed this summer.

The volume of expenses incurred in Constanta County decreased only by about 100 thousand RON – from 16.93 million RON to 16.82 million RON – in July this year, compared to the same month of 2021. Of course, the comparison is made with a month from the pandemic period, but in the Romanian resorts were made, however, more transactions than last year.  In Mamaia, 176 thousand RON more money was spent than in July 2021, in Costinesti, with 82 thousand RON more, and in Eforie Sud with 43 thousand RON more. In Vama Veche and Eforie Nord tourists were more restrained at card payments, spending 212 thousand RON and, respectively 130 thousand RON less this year.

The Danube Delta, on the other hand, had an “increased debit” on expenses, registering card payments higher by 150 thousand RON than in the summer of last year.

Prahova Valley resorts enjoyed the presence of a large number of generous tourists, who spent record amounts this year.  In Sinaia, 587 thousand RON were traded in July, with over 170 thousand RON more than last year, and Busteni recorded a fabulous increase of 7 times higher in the amount of money spent by tourists in this resort, from 65 thousand RON in July 2021, at almost half a million RON, in July 2022.

Instead, Brasov County remained on “a plateau” of the manifestation of tourists’ consumption.  In July, 78 thousand RON less was spent than in the same month of 2021. Card transactions recorded a decrease from 6.95 million RON to 6.87 million RON this year. However, Poiana Brasov managed to impress tourists and convince them to leave here twice as much money as last year, from 229 thousand RON in July 2021 to 484 thousand RON in July 2022.

Northern Transylvania and the Apuseni Mountains were among the regions where the most money was spent in July, in Romania. In Cluj County, 2.6 million RON more was spent than in July 2022, in Sighisoara, with 318 thousand RON more, and in Târgu-Mureș and Bistrita about 350 thousand RON more, in each city, while in the Apuseni Mountains region (Bihor, Alba, Salaj counties), tourists traded with 1.1 million RON more money this year.

Moldova and Bucovina also remained popular holiday destinations, Suceava County registering an increase of about 700 thousand RON in card payments.

The Capital, however, came out on the minus in this summer month, registering expenses with almost one million RON lower in July, from 45.32 million RON in 2021 to 44.36 million RON in 2022.