At the end of October 2023, the temperature on the coast was 27 degrees, and the water temperature in the sea was 20 degrees. Autumn now has nothing to do with what it was 30-40 years ago, and some wonder why the sea season is not extended in these conditions? We spoke to people in the marine tourism industry to find out what’s stopping them from staying open in the fall?

On October 31, 1920, -17° C was recorded in the city of Roman. 103 years later, in October 2023, it was 35 degrees in some cities of Romania, and 31 degrees on the coast.

The autumn heatwave is an indicator of global warming and is accompanied by a number of dire environmental consequences, such as drought. At the same time, however, high temperatures are getting people out of the house and making them want to make the most of the heat outside.

Why couldn’t they also go to the sea, for example? Several representatives of coastal tourism explained to HotNews.ro how they see the continuation of the summer season.

A representative of the hotel industry: “An effective communication campaign with potential tourists is needed”

Celin Ilieu, honorary president of the Federation of the Hotel Industry of Romania (FIHR), says that the extension of the season is the desire of all maritime operators. On the other hand, they have not yet found the right solutions to do so.

“A warming climate will be the first step towards this goal: energy costs will be much lower if we have temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius, there is a higher supply of work in the off-season, and it is easier for hoteliers to find workers at a lower price. the cost is lower than in the summer, and the warmer temperatures give people a reason to leave their homes and travel. During this period, there is a demand,” he says.

Each hotelier, as the representative of FIHR notes, makes his own profitability calculations and knows where the “break-even point” is located, that is, the point where costs and revenues equalize and where profit begins to appear.

At the same time, he believes that not all hotels will want to remain open in the off-season, as the decision depends on both the demand for services and the need for personnel who will provide these services.

“It would be wise for hoteliers to take advantage of this opportunity and join forces to offer the coast as a place to relax and unwind both in the spring and in the fall,” admits Kelin Illier.

There should be a minimum number of hotels open, as well as a minimum number of services offered at the resorts, from restaurants to entertainment facilities. “There should be a common message, an effective communication campaign with potential tourists,” says Kelin Ilieu.

The FIHR representative believes that at the end of autumn, more and more Romanians will want to go to the Black Sea, even if it is a mini-vacation, a maximum of two or three days. In addition to the good weather that forces you to get out of the house and get active, he also mentions the impact of the pandemic, as well as the digital evolution, namely that many can work remotely.

“Demographic changes have led to the fact that the largest stratum of the country’s population is represented by a segment generally called “decrees”, i.e. people aged around 55 years. They have the necessary resources to go on vacation, they have more free time (their children are about 20+ years old), but they also want more peace and quiet than in the summer at tourist resorts,” recalls Ilje.

Coastal hotelier: “If the business is one you can take care of yourself, it can be profitable, otherwise not so much”

In Vama Veke, one of the most popular and crowded resorts on the Romanian coast, the BazArt Hotel closed on September 25.

“My accommodation is one of those that work the latest in the off-season. We closed on 9/25, and that’s only because I promised the team building staff the following weekend. Otherwise, I would leave it open for another week, considering that most of the important businesses in Vămă (Stuf, Expirat) closed on September 15 at the latest,” says Gice Valentyn.

The owner talks about how there is more activity on weekends than during the week in September, and in October they would only look at weekends. However, Gice draws attention to the main problem of extending the season, namely the calculation of income and expenses.

“You have to provide heat at night, have at least one employee at the reception and one at cleaning. If it’s a business you can do yourself, it can be profitable, otherwise not so much,” he adds. The owner also says he was supposed to close on Sept. 15 to make more money at the end of the month, but decided to stay open to give money to his employees.

“Given the weather we’ve had this year in October, it’s clear that people have been thinking big. Văma has a lot of alternative housing where the owners also live, so it was easier for them to accommodate on demand,” he concluded.

The owner of a coastal boarding house: “The Romanian state intends to put sticks in our wheels”

Romanian coast. PHOTO: Viktor Kosmei/ HotNews.ro

Adriana Yorga, owner of Papion from Vama Veche, has a family business, a boarding house with 16 rooms. He lives in Bucharest, so it would be logistically quite difficult for him to stay at customs for longer than September, but also very disadvantageous. She admits that tourists count on prices in the off-season, but their costs can be higher than in the summer, because, above all, you need to provide warmth in the winter.

“In addition to this, it seems that the Romanian state intends to put a stick in our wheels and increases taxes every year,” says Iorga, who also emphasizes that after September 20 he had no more requests for residence. .

The entrepreneur believes that the weather was fantastic in October 2023, but notes that in the evening, after 5-6 p.m., it is not too pleasant outside, the wind blows, big waves, and the water is cold. Vama Veche, she adds, is famous for its parties, and when there’s nothing to do at night, when the cold won’t let you stay on the beach or in a club, there’s really no alternative.

“An extended season can be a good idea for resorts where there are large hotels with indoor swimming pools, saunas or where there are indoor clubs. Perhaps this is where our hoteliers should work on irresistible offers to keep tourists in the country. In Vămă, given the large number of tourists in the off-season, there are enough open guesthouses to meet the demand,” she concludes.

Travel agency representative: “We need as many events and activities as possible”

Traian Bedulescu, spokesman for ANAT (National Association of Travel Agencies), believes that the Romanian coast has the potential to remain open until early November, especially as the climate shows warming trends and September has been dubbed “the fourth month of summer”.

But as he notes, wet weather in mid-autumn can limit tourist stays, and it varies from year to year, even if averages in recent years point to a noticeable warming in the autumn season, especially in the south of the country. country.

“If there is significant demand for extended stays during this period, hotels will have more reason to stay open. No one can guarantee the weather on the beach, especially after October 1, even if we are increasingly facing temperatures of 25-30 degrees.

We need as many events and activities as possible. Organizing events, festivals or other entertainment in October and even November can attract tourists and increase the extension of the season. Also, the autumn season is a good time for team building, congresses or conferences, from the corporate side,” he emphasizes.

In our society, says Bedulescu, after September 5-10, when children go to school, the level of employment on the seashore drops sharply. One option could be to attract foreign tourists, as our Bulgarian neighbors do. An advantage would be that there are many medical, wellness and spa centers on the Romanian coast that could attract the category of elderly people, those who avoid excessive heat.

“We could attract cheerful young people from Western markets (Great Britain, France, Germany, Scandinavian countries) or neighboring countries (Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia).

It is known that the Romanian coast attracts clubs, fun, festivals. Young people prefer, for example, the period April-June and September-October on the Bulgarian coast due to much lower prices. Naturally, and in the case of the Romanian coast, we have to talk about much lower rates than in the season, the goal is a much higher turnover,” he adds.

As for how hoteliers should or should not adapt to the extended season, Traian Bedulescu believes that they should do so according to the demands and expectations of tourists.

This means investing in infrastructure to make the premises more comfortable in the cold season (own heating, which many hotels do not have), promoting specific travel packages for autumn (discounts or special offers) or offering special amenities such as indoor pools or relaxation. spaces

“Even families with children can become a target for the weekend or during school holidays. There are already several amusement and adventure theme parks on the coast, dedicated to both families and groups of friends or companies and corporations,” he says.

Another argument for the extension of the season, according to him, is the development of non-hotel activities – the organization of thematic excursions and the expansion of the program of restaurants, bars, clubs or theme parks in the off-season.

“It is possible that competition with other tourist destinations outside the country is also a barrier, as many Romanians may choose to travel abroad in the autumn months, to destinations with higher temperatures,” says the ANAT spokesperson.

There is Soarelui Autostrada from Bucharest and you can reach the sea in two or three hours at most, but for foreign tourists, he points out, it would be good to have as many international flights as possible from Mykhailo Kogelnicanu International Airport.

Promotion remains an important factor in this whole process, and it must be carried out internally, but especially externally, by the Tourism Management Organizations (TMOs) on the coast together with the owners of accommodation structures, travel agencies (which really promotes the Romanian coast very effectively) and the relevant ministry.

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