Demand for holidays abroad on the rise

The business of Bucharest-based tour operator Marshal Turism went up 15% in the first quarter this year, compared with 5% growth last year. "As their salaries increase, more and more Romanians are starting to spend their holidays abroad. The main reason for this is the increasing entry of foreign companies into Romania who are opening offices here and offering better pay to their employees, in addition to the money transfers being received from abroad. We've seen the development of both the business and outgoing segments in the last year," said Daniel Antonescu, the travel agency's chairman. Marshal Turism concluded last year with a turnover of about 14 million euros and seeks 10-15% growth in euros this year. Ear ly last year, Marshal Turism became a franchisee of American Express, the leading provider of services for the tourism industry in the world, after having been the sole representative of this company on the Romanian market for six years. ZF