Romania’s national air carrier Tarom has announced new routes from western Romania to the Black Sea coast this summer.
Most Romanians are expected to vacation at home this year due to the pandemic, either for economic reasons, due to fears about visiting countries with a large number of coronavirus cases or uncertainties about foreign travel and quarantine rules.
Tourist operators estimate only 20% of Romanians going on vacation this year will choose foreign destinations. Many will opt for the sandy Black Sea beaches with guaranteed sunshine.
But poor road and rail infrastructure in Romania means it can take up to 20 hours by train to get to the Black Sea coast which us in eastern Romania from cities such as Baia Mare and Oradea in the northwest.
Tarom said it would start new routes from Timisoara to Constanta, from Oradea to Constanta and from Cluj to Constanta beginning in July, a statement said.
“Romanians will be able to get to the coast in less than an hour… arriving at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Airport where they can quickly reach Black Sea resorts or the Danube Delta,” the company said.
The announcement came following discussions between the transport, economy and environment ministries, Tarom, tourist operators, and the Timisoara, Oradea and Cluj city halls.
„Now that restrictions are beginning to be lifted and activity is starting to get underway again, let’s do what we know best, connecting Romania both internally and externally,” Tarom’s director general George Barbu was quoted as saying by News.ro.
“If it takes nine hours by car from Timisoara, the same journey takes an hour by plane,” he said.
“There are lots of Romanians waiting for these new routes and I’m convinced a lot of us will rediscover Romania and we will contribute to sustaining local tourism.”
