In the first four months of 2025, Romanians spent more than three billion euros on trips abroad, which is 15% more than the previous year, and is expected to exceed the record 11 billion euros for the whole year, according to a specialized analysis based on data published by the National Bank of Romania (BNR), Agerpres agency reported for BTA.
Colliers data published on Tuesday show that domestic tourism is also on an upward trend: the number of overnight stays in hotels and other accommodation increased by 1% and if this trend continues, 2025 could become the best year for domestic tourism in the last three decades, surpassing the record set in 2024.
If the current pace continues, Romanians' spending on holidays abroad and business tourism will exceed 11 billion euros by the end of the year - a new record after 9.6 billion euros in 2024, 8.6 billion euros in 2023 and 5.4 billion euros in 2019, before the pandemic.
In 2024, Romanians spent the most money in Germany and Italy - over one billion euros each, according to Eurostat's balance of payments data for travel. The next countries are the Netherlands (almost €700 million), Spain and France (with around €600 million each).
"Romanians not only want to travel more, but they are also completely changing their holiday behaviour, becoming active consumers who buy, discover new places and invest in new experiences. We also see this trend in domestic tourism, where in the first four months of 2024 Romanians had more than 5 million nights in accommodation - a continuation of the record achieved in 2023, the best year we have had in the last three decades. This new type of behavior is transforming shopping centers in tourist cities into true lifestyle zones, and real estate investors are increasingly starting to rely on the synergy between retail, tourism and experiences," says Liana Dumitru, Retail Director at Colliers.
According to the views of Colliers consultants, the greatest growth opportunities come from urban regeneration projects that bring together retail, tourism and culture.