The summer vacation season is on the horizon, but only four out of 10 working Romanians have so far made plans due to disruptions and uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a new survey shows.
Of those, 80% plan to holiday in Romania because they are worried about the pandemic or are short of funds, according to recruitment platform BestJobs which published the poll Monday.
One quarter of those interviewed for the survey said their family income had fallen by one-fourth, while another 25% said they had lost half their usual income.
“Almost three-quarters of working Romanians, haven’t had a vacation this year, but 42% of them plan to make plans for one in the coming period,” the poll said.
The reasons for reluctance to take a vacation were primarily health related. Some 42% believe that people have relaxed too much after the strict lockdown and are not complying with mask wearing and social distancing.
Another 23% think a second wave of coronavirus is on the way and it will disrupt holiday plans.
Some people have expressed fears about visiting countries with a large number of coronavirus cases or uncertainties about foreign travel and quarantine rules, tour operators said separately.
They estimate only 20% of Romanians going on vacation this year will choose foreign destinations. Instead, many will_ and already are_ opting for Romania’s sandy Black Sea beaches with guaranteed sunshine.
National air carrier Tarom has announced new routes from western Romanian cities to the Black Sea which is in the far southeastern corner.
Although many tourists will motor down to the Black Sea, the train is still a popular and cheap option and the national rail company CFR Calatori has laid on extra trains.
Of the 80% who will staycation this year, 57.4% will go to the sea or the mountains, while 24.8%) said they would stay at home.
Of those that have decided to take a vacation, about one-third said they’ll spend what they initially budgeted for, 16% said they’d spend at least 30% less due to current uncertainties.
As for accommodation, 50% said they’d stay in a hotel or guesthouse, 12% said they’d rent out an apartment., a caravan or even a tent to minimize risks of coming into contact with people who don’t respect social distancing rules.
Upon return from their vacation, 29% of working Romanians say they’d go straight back to the office, without taking any preventative measures, while 28% said they’d work remotely from home until the end of the year.
A further 21% said they’d self-isolate at home for 14 days, while 18% said they’d take a Covid-19 test, the opinion poll said.
The survey was carried out from June 15-25 and 804 people were questioned.
BestJobs us one of the biggest recruitment online agencies in Romania, used by 2.5 million professionals.
