Romania, lagging behind in tourism in Europe: only a quarter of Romanians go on vacation

In 2023, only 25% of Romanians over the age of 15 spent at least one night in accommodation, compared to the EU27 average of 63% for the same age group. The data is based on official statistics recorded by Eurostat.

Romania lags behind other EU member states in the region in terms of tourism, such as Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia, where over 55% of citizens reported having spent at least one night in accommodation. The only EU country with a similar proportion is Bulgaria, but even there, 37% of citizens reported at least one night spent in accommodation.

The entire European tourism sector experienced a sharp decline in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but current data show a return to pre-pandemic levels. However, Romania continues to lag far behind other EU member states, with less than half the European average of citizens over 15 spending at least one night in accommodation.

Eurostat data for 2023 shows that a small percentage of the elderly population in Romania can afford a vacation. Only 11% of Romanians over the age of 65 took at least one tourist trip in 2023, compared to the EU average of 48%. This rate places Romania in last place, with significant differences compared to Germany (58%), Hungary (48%), and Poland (35%).

The low percentage of Romanians who can afford a vacation is not only the result of poverty and limited access to vacation opportunities, but also of a local tourism offer that fails to adapt to the needs and financial possibilities of citizens, especially the more vulnerable age groups.

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The complete Eurostat data set can be found at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tin00187/default/table?lang=en

Data processing and text design: Daniel Sandu

Infographic: Pascalone Media SRL