Romania is among the fastest growing markets for the hospitality industry in Europe

The second edition of the INVEST Summit 2025 brought together in Bucharest investors, operators and
representatives of major international hotel brands, along with officials and suppliers
of hospitality solutions. The event took place in a changing global economiccontext. However, the investors and operators present confirmed that
Romania remains one of the markets with the highest growth potential in
Europe.

The opening of the summit was marked by the Minister of Economy,
Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, Radu-Dinel Miruță. He addressed
directly the subject of taxation and the pace of reforms: “I have two pieces of news, one good and one
bad. The good news is that no new taxes will be added in the next period. The
bad news relates to the speed at which the Government is managing to collect the taxes to be collected
and bring down public authority spending. Other good news for thosein tourism is that VAT has not been increased. This increase is under analysis.The agreement we have with the Government is that by the end of the year the Ministryof Finance will show us the figures and, depending on this analysis, we will decide whether the value added taxwill remain the same or not for those in tourism. I hope, and I
will do my best, that it stays the same.”

The event was built around themes that directly influence the future of the industry:
smart hotel investments and sustainability, digitalization, human
capital development, training and education in the age of artificial intelligence.

One of the most watched moments of the summit was the speech by Paul
Dubrule, co-founder of Europe’s largest hotel group Accor, followed by

in conversation with Philippe Bijaoui, Chief Development Officer Europe & North Africa
Premium, Midscale, Economy, Accor. He presented the pace of growth of
Accor’s portfolio in Romania after almost 30 years of presence on the local market:
“Today we have 24 hotels in operation and almost 36 hotels in the pipeline. Therefore,we should increase the number of hotels in Romania from 24 to 60 in the next 3-4years, depending on the pace of construction. And our mission is to continue to
grow.”

Bijaoui also detailed the fundamentals of this development: “There are areas in Romania where we are not yet
or where we need to be, and the demand is there. Romania has all theingredients for growth. The ingredients are: the country itself, it is alarge country, with 20 million inhabitants, active, with a strong desire for education, whichis remarkable in Romania compared to other countries in the region. And the creation of thisprosperity, which the country has built for itself, has made it possible fora group like ours, but also for others, to develop.”He also recalled what made Accor’s expansion in Romania successful: “I remembermy first visits to Romania, many years ago. There is a passion and a desire to
make things happen in this country, something we don’t find in other places. And
that’s the reason why I made it here and it’s been great.”

For his part, Vassilis Themelidis, Regional Director South & East Europe,
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, confirmed the positive dynamics of the local market: “We
are happy to be here at INVEST Summit 2025 in a market that is growing aggressively. Inparticular over the last 4-5 years we have seen a strong market trajectory. We already have 16Wyndham hotels in the country. The market has a lot of potential for growth, what is
still needed is to promote Romania at international tourism events and
highlight the wonderful culture, gastronomy and winter resorts.”

Another major pillar of the summit was the hospitality labor market. In the panel moderatedby prof. univ. Ray Iunius, Simona Constantinescu, president of FIHR, highlighted
the transformations the industry is going through. She explained that 7 out of 10 jobs of the future

will require skills already cultivated in training programs in the
hospitality industry, confirming the sector’s role as a development platform for future
generations of professionals. Constantinescu drew attention to the urgent need foruniversities to adapt to the new generations and the impact of AI in education, but also tothe crucial role of vocational training in employee retention. The low interest infree, grant-funded programs indicates, in her view,the need for a change of mindset in companies. She emphasized that a
young person needs, on average, 2-2.5 years to decide whether to stay in the industry,
which forces companies to create clear and predictable career paths.
These conclusions were also reinforced by Prof. Mihai Ghigiu, head of the Romanian Parliament’s Education
Committee, and the Dean of EHL Business School, Prof. Achim Schmitt.

Over the two days, the conclusions of the panels outlined clear directions for the
evolution of the industry. Sustainability, digitization and innovation were recurring themes,increasingly seen as elements that will determine the pace of market growth. From
transforming the customer journey to smart renovation strategies,
discussions showed how investments are becoming better anchored in the real needs of
guests and owners.

Another important message was the need for Romania to be more visible at
international level, with a clearer and more convincing presentation of what it has to offer,
so that it can more easily attract both tourists and business investment.

Market analysis from the CEE Hospitality Outlook session highlighted Romania’s
performance, RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room) growth fueled by ADR
(Average Daily Rate) and rising demand, while liquidity remains limited.
The final message was that Romania has significant potential, but the real pace of
growth depends on investors moving from simply holding assets to
active decisions, such as investments, modernizations, repositioning or new partnerships, that
can capitalize on market opportunities.

About winsed.swiss
The organizer of the INVEST Summit, winsed.swiss (https://winsed.swiss/ro/), is active
in the hospitality and education sectors and offers integrated solutions to professionals in these
industries, covering the entire journey from idea to implementation, from recruitment to
training and specialization, from operational consulting to hotel management.
The international team of experts, consultants, professors and entrepreneurs contribute to
the development of an industry in full transformation.
The 2025 edition of the INVEST Summit gathered around 250 participants and 60 international
speakers, confirming the Summit’s role as a solid platform for strategic dialog,
analysis and initiating new projects in the hospitality and hotel investment industry.
More details are available on the official website: https://inv-est.eu/