“We had 1,436 groups of foreign tourists, 30 to 35 people each, last year and this year we have reservations from 1,511 groups. Demand for cruises was high, too, we have 1,034 cruises with 140 tourists booked compared with 950 last year,” Gheorghe Marginean, the low-profile owner of Karpaten Turism, told ZF.
Most foreign tourists come from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the entrepreneur says.
“We attend 26 to 28 international tourism trade shows for partnerships every year, incoming [travel] generates 60% of the group’s revenue and the outgoing segment generates 30%.”
Karpaten Turism includes the Karpaten Turism travel agency, Karpaten Outgoing, Karpaten Hotels (two hotels) and Karpaten Logistics & Tours, which operates 11 coaches, seven jetties and four passenger ships, Marginean added. (EUR1=RON4.6598)
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)