However, the business travel segment will be hit hardest, according to a Vice President of the National Association of Travel Agencies (ANAT), Adrian Voican. “Companies will reschedule their budgets and cut funds for travel,” he said. Travel agency officials admit they did not foresee a downward trend. “We are not impacted on this segment so far. There are signs, but for the time being we have no reason to consider a strategic plan for next year,” the Marketing Manager of Aerotravel, Claudia Stan, said. She added that the effect on the tourism market depends on Romania’s macroeconomic situation. “If the economy is unaffected at a macro level nothing will happen on our segment,” Stan said.
According to Voican, estimates are difficult, “because there are no statistics, and the summer season at the seaside ended before the crisis broke out.” He believes that the market will be impacted if the prices of transportation and utilities increase. “If the purchasing power drops, Romanians will think twice before setting a travel budget,” Voican added. Furthermore, if people do decide to go on vacation, they are likely to spend less and buy packages for shorter holidays.
