FIHR emphasizes that the country has valuable tourism resources, substantial private investment and entrepreneurs able to create internationally competitive tourism products. To convert this potential into measurable economic value, the federation argues that institutional continuity, coordinated action and public policies tailored to the industry’s realities are necessary.
“Acțiunile privind promovarea României ca destinație turistică, fiscalitatea predictibilă sau organizarea muncii influențează direct capacitatea operatorilor de a menține competitivitatea și atractivitatea ofertelor turistice la nivel regional. De aceea, experiența operatorilor trebuie să cântărească în elaborarea politicilor pentru turism. Rolul FIHR este să transforme nevoile semnalate de membri în propuneri concrete și să urmărească parcursul acestora în dialogul cu autoritățile. Susținem măsuri care să le permită antreprenorilor din turism să planifice pe termen lung, să atragă oaspeți în mai multe luni ale anului și să reinvestească în calitatea serviciilor, transformând potențialul industriei în rezultate economice măsurabile. Turismul nu trebuie privit doar ca un sector care solicită sprijin, ci ca un exportator de servicii, un generator de investiții, un actor al diplomației economice, un promotor al patrimoniului cultural și un liant intergenerațional al comunităților, fiind astfel un partener al statului în dezvoltarea economică”, said Simona Constantinescu, president of FIHR.
Statistics Romania reports that foreign tourists accounted for 18% of overnight stays in accommodation establishments in January–August 2026, an increase of 10.4% compared with the same period in 2025, with an average stay of 2.1 days. These figures point to significant potential for growing incoming tourism and expanding the export of tourism services.
FIHR proposes multiyear promotion planning for Romania over 3–5 years, with predictable funding and a gradual budget increase to €40–50 million per year, introduction of an incoming tourism premium, digital campaigns on priority markets and strategic participation in international trade fairs. These promotional directions align with the 2027–2030 government program, although the budget increase depends on fiscal space.
To adapt campaigns, FIHR stresses the need to understand tourist profiles and travel behavior: in the first eight months of 2026 the largest number of arrivals came from Germany (181,400), Italy (148,300) and the United States (122,400). In August, Bucharest and county-seat cities, excluding Tulcea, concentrated 67.2% of foreign arrivals; mountain resorts 11.4%; and seaside resorts, excluding Constanța municipality, 2.9%. FIHR advocates constant online campaigns with messages tailored to source markets and local offers, from spa and wellness to gastronomy, city breaks and nature-adventure tourism.
The federation also supports cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to update and simplify visa procedures, aiming to facilitate access for tourists from countries requiring a visa, within applicable EU and Schengen rules.
FIHR calls for a national tourism brand promoted consistently and managed by a professional structure with stable funding and measurable objectives. The federation supports operationalizing a Destination Management Organization (DMO) at national level under a public–private governance model, with multiyear predictable financing and meaningful industry participation in decision-making.
A national DMO would help coordinate a common strategy and ensure continuous promotion of Romania’s tourism brand, providing continuity across political and administrative changes. National campaigns could be aligned with local initiatives and operator offers, and promotion should be evaluated using economic indicators such as generated stays, length of stay and visitor spending.
FIHR advocates for fiscal predictability, maintaining a reduced VAT rate for accommodation and food services and stability of local taxes, measures seen as essential for preparing competitive offers and attracting international partners. A stable fiscal framework encourages long-term investments in modernizing facilities and developing new accommodation capacity.
For seasonally operating units, FIHR supports adapting local taxation to the operating period, acknowledging that revenues concentrate in a few months but must cover off-season costs. The federation also calls for improved control mechanisms to combat tax evasion and consistent application of rules for all operators, regardless of legal form or sales channels.
Continuation of the vacation voucher mechanism after 2026 and incentives for private employers to grant them are viewed as tools to support domestic demand and access to holidays.
FIHR stresses that Romania has tourism assets that can be exploited year-round. Spa tourism is identified as a competitive advantage that can reduce seasonality, support resort development and boost service exports.
Tailored financing schemes, fiscal predictability and stable local taxes are needed to enable operators to plan long term and modernize facilities. In the spa and health sector, FIHR recommends cooperation between tourism and health authorities to clarify procedures for access to treatments eligible in Romania for insured patients from other countries, paired with external promotion and commercial partnerships.
To address seasonal demand fluctuations, FIHR proposes amendments to the Labour Code: introducing a working time bank, digital timekeeping, proportional social contributions for part-time contracts and a simplified Kurzarbeit-type mechanism to preserve jobs during temporary activity reductions.
Applied with respect for employee rights, these tools could help retain experienced staff, reduce repetitive recruitment costs and formalize the workforce better, leading to more competitive, higher-quality tourism services.
FIHR supports modernizing legislation on tourist movements, including amending Government Decision no. 237/2001, by introducing a single digital register with an electronic accommodation file and transmitting data to competent institutions (MEDAT, INS, MAI, MAE, ANAF etc.) via an interoperable system. The aim is for operators to report required information digitally once, simplifying data collection and analysis.
The federation requests updating statistical methodology and full recording of accommodation activity, including short-term rentals. It supports introducing a unique registration number (NUI) for units offered through online platforms, in line with EU Regulation 2024/1026, to identify providers and apply reporting obligations consistently. Data on overnight stays, length of stay and tourists’ origin should underpin promotion and investment decisions.
FIHR will submit an integrated package of public policy priorities for tourism to the Ministry of Economy, Digitization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, accompanied by implementation proposals and timelines. The federation describes the six priorities as a coherent program: digitalization provides data for decisions; predictable taxation and adaptable labour laws create conditions for investment and jobs; promotion generates international demand; and professional governance plus product development enhance destination competitiveness.
“Avem o oportunitate să schimbăm modul în care România își valorifică turismul, de la măsuri și reacții punctuale la politici publice coerente, care stimulează creșterea economică. Succesul nu se va măsura prin numărul strategiilor aprobate, ci prin turiștii suplimentari atrași, investițiile realizate, locurile de muncă păstrate și veniturile generate pentru economia României. FIHR își asumă rolul de partener constructiv și activ al autorităților. Este momentul să trecem împreună de la potențial la rezultate”, emphasizes Simona Constantinescu, president of FIHR.
The Federation of the Romanian Hotel Industry is the country’s first employers’ organization in tourism, active continuously for over 35 years. Present in 28 counties and representing properties that total more than 25,000 rooms, FIHR contributes to dialogue between tourism entrepreneurs and authorities on matters affecting operations, investment and sector competitiveness. The federation is a member of the Alliance for Tourism (APT) and the Concordia Employers’ Confederation and is internationally affiliated to HOTREC. More details at: www.fihr.ro
