Officials from the National Association of Travel Agencies (ANAT) claim that Romanian tourists who have contracted 10,000 stays for the winter holiday risk losing the amounts spent due to the modification of the school year structure. They state that the changes decided by the Ministry of Education affect the entire tourism industry.
Approximately 10,000 stays have already been contracted for the winter holiday period, and travel agencies have non-refundable deposits with hotel partners, in Romania and abroad, for the 2015-2016 winter season, according to the previous school curriculum. Furthermore, clients have paid for the tourist packages, which are non-refundable according to contracts already signed once they were purchased at early booking prices.
Lucia Morariu, first vice-president of ANAT, stated that the association made an estimate of €600 on average per person for a stay, for which each tourist paid an advance of €200, and the 10,000 stays have already been contracted. Thus, tourists who paid deposits for holidays would lose a total of approximately €2 million.
Association representatives say that the extra week of vacation in January, the new vacation period in February, and the extra school days in June, arbitrarily established by the Ministry of Education without consulting the private sector and tourism entrepreneurs, cause disservices to both travel agencies and hoteliers.
ANAT leadership specifies that extending the school year until almost the end of June disrupts tourism activities.
According to an order from the Minister of Education, published Thursday in the Official Gazette, the new school year begins on September 14 and includes a three-week winter break instead of two and a summer break that ends on September 11, so the 2016-2017 school year will not start a week earlier, as requested by the National Student Council and as the previous structure provided.
Source: Daily Business
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is ANAT estimating losses of 2 million euros?
The losses stem from non-refundable deposits paid for 10,000 holiday packages booked at early booking prices, which no longer align with the new school year structure.
What are the main changes to the school calendar?
The changes include a three-week winter break, a new vacation period in February, and the extension of school days until late June.
How are tourists affected by these decisions?
Tourists risk losing their advance payments (averaging €200 per person) because the packages were purchased based on the old schedule and are typically non-refundable.