Lucian Bădîrcea, IRI Travel: "The transition to the euro should not bring excessive price increases in Bulgaria”

Bulgaria's transition to the euro from January 1, 2026 will not have a strong influence on tourism prices in the neighboring country, Lucian Bădîrcea, CEO of IRI Travel, recently stated during a press conference organized at the Prestige Deluxe Hotel Aquapark Club in the Nisipurile de AUR resort.

Lucian Bădîrcea stated: "I have spoken these days with several Bulgarian partners of our company about the transition to the euro, but the tourism operators from the neighboring country believe for now that they will not be affected. This is because they are paid in euros by companies in Romania anyway, and the prices now appear in leva and in euros. In other words, Bulgaria's transition to the euro on January 1, 2026 will be barely noticeable for the tourism operators from the neighboring country. They will receive their money as before and that is why we insisted on not increasing prices very much. There will be a slight difference like every year, but it should not be justified in any way by this transition to a new currency, because they were receiving their payment in euros anyway. Now, any country that switches to the euro experiences this slight increase in prices. From what I understand, everyone is trying to increase prices now during this period to be at the right level in January 2026. But we advised hoteliers not to exaggerate, to somehow remain within a growth margin of between 5% and a maximum of 10%, in order to have sales next year. It is in their interest to occupy their hotels, not to have a very large difference in prices, because tourists can always find alternatives”.

Moreover, the CEO of IRI Travel drew attention to the fact that an excessive increase in prices will push tourists to reorient themselves to other regions.

"That is, there is Greece, there is Turkey and Romania, and in such cases the psychology of the masses may intervene, let's say of the Romanian tourist, who may perceive this excessive increase attributed to the switch to the euro as a signal for a return to tourism in the country, to the Romanian seaside. We, still having our national currency, the prices may seem lower to them and then they, certainly, or some of them, will reorient themselves, they will no longer choose Bulgaria, they will go to Romania or those who pay in euros may head to Greece or Turkey. So that is why we advised our partners, the Bulgarian tour operators to try to talk to the hotel managers to maintain the same price and the same rates in 2026 so as not to destabilize the market. In the end, it is in their interest. We promote them, of course, we sell, but we as a tour operator agency can adapt, we can orient ourselves towards destinations that are sought after. But "Of course, we want to continue our tourist tradition in Bulgaria and they have understood this and I don't think they will risk increasing their prices a lot because there are no real reasons," said Lucian Bădîrcea.

In other words, Romania could turn Bulgaria's transition to the euro into an advantage if they increase the rates at hotels in the neighboring country, provided that tour operators on our coast offer a fair quality-price ratio and capitalize on the psychological factor.

• Romanian-Bulgarian collaboration at Prestige Deluxe Hotel Aquapark Club

This principle of balance between quality and price is reflected in the way relationships with top hotels are managed, and the example of the Prestige Deluxe Hotel Aquapark Club complex in Golden Sands is defining. Lucian Bădîrcea describes this collaboration as a healthy partnership model: "Here at Prestige, I met a visionary man, a hotel owner who truly understood the logic of the partnership between the hotel and the tour operator. Proof of this is also found in the exceptional results that the Prestige complex has achieved, in the sense that it is the best-selling hotel in Golden Sands.”

The secret of success lies not only in infrastructure and services, but also in attitude and adaptability, a mix that Angelica Chirică, marketing director for the Romanian market, clearly summarizes: "The quality-price ratio is the real one. We offer exactly what we are and we have an all-inclusive offer throughout the day. The bars open at 7:30 in the morning, close at 11:00 in the evening. If the demand is high, the program can be extended. The meal program is a relaxed one. Tourists can relax. We have terraces that are available to tourists, both by the pool and in other areas of the hotel. Children are an important component for us and that is why we have animators who involve the little ones throughout the day in various activities. That is why the children who come to our hotel do not get bored. The adults also have a program. But an important point is the collaboration with the IRI Travel company, which supports us so that throughout the summer season the occupancy rate of the 475 rooms in the two accommodation units is 100%. And at least half of them are occupied by Romanian tourists. That is why we even have animators who speak Romanian and who adapt their program according to the majority of tourists. We try to offer the same services to all tourists, but the majority always wins.”

It is no coincidence that the occupancy rate remains consistently high and that many Romanians choose to return, attracted not only by the offer, but also by the feeling of safety and support. "In Prestige hotels, there are a lot of Romanians and there are periods when 75% of the rooms are occupied by our compatriots. Many of them come because they know that they have Romanian support, because not everyone can speak English. And during the summer season, a lot of problems can arise: they don't like the type of room, something happens, they want a change. When you can't get along with the reception, it is very difficult to come back to the same place next year. You are looking to go to a location where you know that you have been helped and this is probably one of the reasons why they return in such large numbers here, at Prestige hotels, because they have understood that they have a representative who speaks Romanian, not just Romanian-speaking entertainers. The important thing is to have someone at the reception, to help you when you are with children and want to settle in faster, or when you have a need. It basically gives you that security that no matter what happens, there is someone who speaks Romanian and can help you at any time, including providing translation if you need a doctor, if you lose your identity documents, etc., "said Lucian Bădîrcea, CEO of IRI Travel.

• Ski resort holidays, through the eyes of IRI Travel specialists

The same combination of deep market knowledge and solution orientation is also found in the field of winter holidays, where IRI Travel has managed to be a pioneer on the Romanian market.

Cristina Bădîrcea, manager of IRI Travel, speaks about this segment with the authority of a travel agent who built this market from scratch: "Our company is the promoter of these ski holidays. We brought ski stays to the Romanian market, we made them much better known than they were before. Approximately 90% of the hotels we offer have been visited and experienced by our tourists over the years. Interest was very high until the pandemic for this type of holiday through travel agencies. The interest has remained the same, but the new era of technology has made it easier for tourists to find these types of holidays. Interest is increasing, we receive requests and somehow tourists perceive us as an agency that knows, has knowledge about how to organize this type of holiday. There are many elements, it is not a simple holiday like at sea. You need to have knowledge to be able to do this type of tourism, because tourists request various types of ski passes, various related services. They don't just go skiing. The hotel must be built close to the slopes, you must have some knowledge in this field and then we help them and find the best option for them. Of course, most of them go to Austria. Then comes Bulgaria because it is closer and has developed very good slopes in the ski resorts of Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo. Italy was very little known in terms of skiing, but we recommend it, because there are very good slopes and lower prices than in Austria. And in Italy the benefit would be that the vast majority of hotels also have a spa area, which in Austria is considered a luxury element and then the rate is much higher for a vacation in a hotel that has a swimming pool and sauna. Prices are very high in Austria, while in Italy skiing seems normal, it is a more affordable price and then we try to send tourists to this destination which is no less, because it has many kilometers of slopes and also benefits from spa services included in the price.

Beyond the offer, the key to success lies in expertise and the ability to understand the complex needs of this type of vacation.

"We know ski destinations very well. We have skied in Austria, Italy, France, we have experienced almost everything that a ski vacation means. We are the only travel agency in Romania that in 2006 until the financial crisis sent over 5,000 tourists to Austria alone on New Year's Eve, with thousands of rooms taken as a guarantee, that is, prepaid. We assumed this responsibility and managed to take care of the entire area of Austria and Italy every time. Moreover, during those periods we went and went together on infotrips dedicated to getting to know the respective areas. (...) There are types of vacation in which you can experience six days of skiing in a week, with a ski pass for each area", said Lucian Bădîrcea, CEO of IRI Travel.