How much tourism is in tourism: 66% of visitors are on business trips. And 40% of others do not travel for holidays

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• Share of expense groups in total business travel expenses and private travel expenses, in Q1 2017
• Other   Healthcare expenses              Recreation      Shopping         Transportation Restaurants and bars             Accommodation

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Foreign tourists’ spending in Romania amounted to over 1.03 billion lei in the first quarter of the year, of which 66.1% went to business trips and to attending congresses, conferences, courses, fairs and exhibitions.

Most of the 446,000 non-resident tourists accommodated in collective tourist accommodation establishments (65.5%) came to Romania for business, according to a report issued on Friday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

Private trips were the second most important reason for the stay of non-residents in Romania (34.5% of the total number of non-resident tourists), with the emphasis on holiday travels (60.4% out of 34.5%).

Private travels include travels for holidays, shopping, cultural and sports events, visiting friends and relatives, medical treatment, religion, transit and other activities.

The highest share of total expenses for business travels covers the accommodation expenses (52.7%), accommodation with breakfast included (89.8%) being preferred.

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• Share of expense groups for business and private travels in total expense groups in Q1 2017
• Accommodation          Restaurants and bars             Transportation             Shopping         Recreation                  Healthcare                  Other

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Spending of non-resident tourists in restaurants and bars represented 19.2%, and spending on shopping 11.7%. Out of the total shopping expenses, 38.9% represented food and beverages, followed by gift and souvenir purchases with 36.4%.

Car rental expenses accounted for 51.5% of the total transportation expenses and the expenses for entry tickets to museums, tourist attractions, zoos/botanic gardens accounted for 50.7% of total recreational spending.

Most foreigners who arrived in Romania (47.5%) organized their stay through travel agencies and came mainly by plane (81.1%), and the rest of them by their own cars (11.4%), coaches (5.6%), or by train and others.