The Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MEAT) organized on October 13-19, 2024, in collaboration with Turkish Airlines, an information visit for 9 travel companies from the United States of America. The initiative aimed to promote Romania on the American market through an intensive tour focused on exploring some of the most attractive tourist attractions and destinations in the country. The itinerary started in Transylvania and included exceptional sights such as the Turda Salt Mine, the Alba Carolina Citadel and the Corvinilor Castle, which highlight both the history and natural beauty of the region. It also promoted the millennia-old tradition of spa tourism, with stops in Geoagiu Băi, where participants explored the ruins of the Roman baths of Germisara and the Clocota waterfall. The cities of Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu and Bucharest were presented as cultural destinations, while the castles of the Prahova Valley completed the itinerary. MEAT aims to strengthen Romania’s position as a destination of interest to this market, in the context of a global post-pandemic tourism boom. 98.46 million U.S. residents traveled outside U.S. borders in 2023, of which 9.3 million chose European destinations. In addition, according to Statista estimates, U.S. tourist spending will increase from $108.81 billion in 2024 to $422.26 billion. USD by 2034, a development supported by their economic strength and the flexibility offered by remote working. Romania has seen a significant increase in the number of American tourists of more than 25%, reaching 218,000 visitors in 2023, up from 173,000 in 2022, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics. Moreover, in the first six months of this year, the US ranked fourth among the top source countries for Romanian tourism, ahead of traditional markets such as France and Spain. At the end of the information visit, the 9 American travel companies, namely Downtown Travel, Panorama Travel, SKybird Travel, Up and AWay Travel, Voyzant, Road Scholar, ACIS, Grand Circle, Flight Centre USA, had a B2B meeting in Bucharest with Romanian tour operators. As a partner of the initiative, Turkish Airlines provided air transportation for the 10 American representatives.
Romania promoted on the American market
