Over 70% of Romanians with Internet access are documented online when choosing their holiday destination

According to a study conducted by the online booking platform HotelGuru.ro, over 70% of Romanians with Internet access are online before choosing their vacation destination and hotel where they will stay, though they are still reluctant to make reservations and payments online. Only 28% choose to complete the online booking, while 39% prefers to make the reservation by phone.

Most Romanians (68%) stated that they trust the online booking sites and that they use these portals to read details and reviews about the accommodation unit. Before making a reservation, 30% of Romanians access 4-5 sites, 11% - over 10 sites and only 3% access a single site.

However, those who are reluctant to complete the reservation through an online booking portal have motivated their position by saying that they do not want to provide bank details and that they find it more efficient by phone, when they have contact with a person from whom they can find out more details by phone. The internet is also used for other tourism-related activities, such as obtaining information before traveling or to share the holiday experience (for example, posting on social networks) - over 55% of respondents.

The study also showed that Romania is the main destination chosen by Romanians for spending this summer vacation, the mountain resorts are the favorite of tourists from all over the country, and the coast is the favorite of Bucharest. The next destinations classified by the mountain resorts and the Romanian coast are Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey.

80% of respondents said that the main holiday season is summer. 27% of them said they spend their summer vacation on the Romanian coast, while 41% said they choose the mountain.
The destinations preferred by the Romanians are the area of ​​Transylvania, Bran-Moieciu, Prahova Valley, Sovata, Băile Felix, Bucovina, Maramureș and the resorts on the Romanian coast. Regarding the price they would be willing to pay for a night spent in a guesthouse / hotel of 3 stars, the answers ranged from 70 lei to 250 lei per person.

They replied that the duration of a stay in Romania extends up to 2 weeks, with an average of 7 nights, and the average budget allocated is 750 lei per person. For a holiday abroad, the Romanians who answered the study are willing to pay between 1000 and 3000 lei per person, depending on the destination and the services offered.

The study was conducted on a sample of 1834 respondents from all over Romania, with Internet access, who participated online in completing the questionnaire during the 21.07.2014 -03.08.2014 period.