Holiday vouchers stimulate tourism in Romania

Stays in Romania bought last year with holiday vouchers they totaled approximately 10 million, an amount nearly four times higher than 2015 and six times higher than 2014.

For this year, National Association of Travel Agencies (ANAT) estimate it 38 times the amount, if 1.450 lei holiday vouchers will be granted for each budget.

In 2016 they were granted 1,1 million holiday vouchers, according to the information received by ANAT from the Ministry of Public Finance, a number of 3,5 times higher than 2015 and 5,5 times more than two years ago, when they were given to 207.000 holiday vouchers employees.

Holiday vouchers

The amount of 10 million for holidays bought with holiday vouchers in 2016 has significantly contributed to the growth of domestic tourism, ANAT announcing at the end of the summer season an increase of sales of 15% through the travel agencies.

“Last year holiday vouchers were granted only in the private system, with public institutions still having a ban on this wage incentive. If from July 1 each budget will receive vouchers worth 1.450 lei, and will use them this year, the value of last year could increase 38 times. For the tourism industry there will be more money for investments in increasing the quality of the services ”, says Dr. Alin Burcea, president of ANAT.

Most vouchers were used last year to buy stays in the seaside resorts and in the Danube Delta, which had higher sales with 18%, 12%, respectively 20%, the Danube Delta being the revelation of the season in the preferences of tourists who they spent, on average, three days of vacation.

“In order to stimulate the sale by holiday vouchers, ANAT supports the elimination of the ceiling of 10% in the case of the travel agency commission, stipulated in the Holiday Vouchers Law, a provision that does not stimulate the natural competition between the agencies. The technical complications for complying with this ceiling on the retailer chain make it difficult to make payments through holiday vouchers, especially for paid and cash packages, and vouchers - the most common case ”, states ANAT president.

Holiday vouchers were introduced on the Romanian market in 2009, but their granting was stopped in the public system after one year, due to the economic crisis, and since then it is restricted year by year by normative act. The law was promoted to protect the health of employees and provides for reduced taxes for employers who offer vouchers to their employees.

Another purpose of the law is the increase of domestic tourism, the last variant of the normative act, approved in 2015, foresees the replacement of the holiday bonuses with which external stays could be bought and were charged similar to the salary for the employer, with the holiday vouchers.

Photo cover infotravelromania.ro