Tourism: 83% Romanians who intend to travel abroad will pay online during vacation

About 37% of Romanians are planning to spend their vacations abroad this year and 1 out of 3 intend to spend between 201 and 600 euros per person. 83% of them say they will pay by card, phone or smart watch at destination.   Also, about 3 out f 10 Romanians (28%) will choose online payments during their vacations, according to results of Visa study “Travel and payment intentions 2024”, made in seven CEE markets, Romania included.   According to the Visa study, CEE consumers appreciate digital payments and intend more and more to use this payment method when they spend their vacations aroad: for 4 out of 5 tourists, cards, mobile phones and smart watches are some of the most popular choices. This tendency is also noticed for Romanians who travel, over 83% planning to oay online during vacations abroad.This preference was also expressed by Hungarians and Poles (84% and 80% respectively).   Travellers from all CEE countries interviewed who use bank cards abroad appreciate advantages of using digital payment methods, such as comfort (61%), rapidity (55%) and no risk of losing cash (54%).   The study shows that mobile payments are preferred both by young and older tourists: one out of three tourists (34%), aged between 35 and 44 years intend to make payments by phone of smart watch.   “The Visa study shows that we are using our phones and smart watches to make payments easily and rapidly even abroad, without being constricted by the place where we are. Digital wallets, which ar every popular among CEE young travellers (18-25 years old) are protected by security systems and technologies of Visa global network. Card data are replaced by a single code through token technology, ensuring additional safety for transactions. Thus, payments are protected regardless of the place where the consumer is,”said Elena Ungureanu, Visa country manager in Romania.   According to the study, 3 out of 4 (75%) CEE travellers decide before leaving on vacation what payment methid they will use abroad. When they travel to a country with a different currency, 53% of respondents are planning to use the same card as at home, while half (49%) of Romanians intend to do the same. At the same time,the study shows that of the 7 markets, Hungarians and Romanians are likely to use a different card abroad, while 3 out 4 (72%) of Romanians choose a card associated to a multi-currency account.   When it comes to booking accommodations or trasnport services, about 20% of Romanians say that in the last 12 months at least one foreign supplier had returned their money in case of delays, cancellations or if they did not benefitted from the service they purchased. These results show a change in the way money is used now, as a result of digital revolution which determined diversification of available transfer sources for consumers.   The source also shows that in 2024, over a third of Romanians (37%) will enjoy vacations abroad, Europe being a preferred destination. Respondents want to visit mainly Greece, Italy and Bulgaria. Outside Europe, most of them plan to visit Turkey, Egypt and the US. On the average, Romanians will spend 8 vacation days abroad, mainly for relaxation (59%), visiting tourist attractions (58%) or joining family or friends (21%).   Compared to 2023, the number of Romanian tourists who would give up their vacations because of inflation or higher living costs has dropped significantly(-13%). Moreover, over half of Romanians declare they will spend two or three vacations abroad, most of them in summer, the right time to go on holidays. On the other hand, for Croatians and Romanians, bettter accommodation offers are an important selection reason when they choose to travel off season.   Over half of holidays (57%) planned by Romanians this year will be organized by themselves, this being the most popular type of vacation in CEE cuntries. When it comes to organizing a journey, online payments come in handy. Visa sturied show that for this kind of vacation Romanians will buy online accommodation (72%) or transportation (51%) whichmosrt of them will pay by card.   When they travel on their own, Romanians and Bulgarians are mainly attracted by special holiday packages. More exactly, this year, 34% of vacatuions planned by Romanians will be travel packages, 38% being bought online on websites of travel agencues, 25% by means of agregator type platforms and 37% at agency headquarters.   The Visa study shows that in young generations, which are deeply connected to online methods prefer to book holidays on the internet (97%) and use digital payments (91%).   On the other hand, this shows that Romanians intend to spend abut 780 euros per person for the longest journey planned abroad. About 35% of them allocate a budget between 201 and 600 euros per person and only 6% do not calculate exactly how much they will spend on their vacation. Once arrived at destination, Romanians tend to allocate money mainly for food and drinks, souvenirs and leisure.   At the same time, 28% of Romanian tourists are willing to pay more for “greeen”solutions when they travel, while 18% declare they would rather choose ecological options during holidays if that would help them save money.   Visa is a world leader in the field of digital payments, facilitating payment among consumers, sellers, financial institutions or government entities in over 200 countries.