Share of Romanian tourism in GDP – 5.2%
The direct contribution of tourism to GDP is about 1.5% less than the world average of 5.2%, said Calin Ile, general manager of Ibis Gara de Nord Hotel at a specialized press conference.
“In other countries in the region the contribution of tourism to GDP is higher: in Croatia it is 11.9%, in Hungary 5.8% and in Bulgaria 3.8%. The number of employees in tourism in Romania is 2.3% of the number of employees, which means 193,000 people, while at world level the average of people working in tourism is 13.9%. Unfortunately, in Romania we do not have exact statistic data and have to rely on data from international institutions. Romania ranks 68th in a classification about competitiveness of tourism in 140 countries published in the 2013 report of the World Economic Forum,” said Calin Ile at the opening of the first CAESAR conference “Tourism in Romania 2030”.
The 140 countries included in the report are classified according to 14 indicators about competitiveness in tourism, such as law, sustainability in environment policies, level of health and hygiene, infrastructure for transports, human, natural and cultural resources. At European level, Romania ranks 35th of 42 countries evaluated, the last being Moldova. Top 10 European countries include Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Spain, Great Britain, France, Sweden, Holland, Iceland and Finland.