Vacation vouchers will give tourists access to complete holiday packages and experiences at guesthouses across the country. Guests on the “Consens Național” program on Realitatea TV explained how the system will work depending on the voucher value and the duration of the stay.
According to the participants, authorized tourism operators will issue the vouchers, while employers will grant them to employees to cover expenses at rural guesthouses.
Andrei Chistol said the vacation voucher will include several bundled services.
“In addition to one overnight stay, which remains mandatory, the beneficiary of the tourism voucher may also receive an excursion, a gastronomic experience, or other cultural activities taking place in the locality. We should not see guesthouses as isolated from the community. A respectable guesthouse will also offer authentic products from local producers,” Andrei Chistol said.
Anatolie Botnaru explained that guesthouse owners are prepared to welcome tourists into their households and involve them in rural activities.
“We can organize workshops on hoeing fields. There are people who want to work with children in the garden. They can see how a cow is milked, how a horse grazes, and learn that cows are not purple but spotted. We had a family visiting with a little girl who said she liked the smell at the farm, even though many people say they cannot stand it. Some children have never seen a goat in their lives and are amazed that it moves and is alive. All these things are bonuses to a stay at the guesthouse,” Anatolie Botnaru explained.
Authorities have already included more than 22 rural guesthouses and accommodation facilities in the network of affiliated units authorized to provide services through the vacation voucher system.
The amount allocated for vacations may reach up to half of the average monthly salary in the economy, which authorities estimate at 8,700 lei for 2026. The voucher benefits from a favorable tax regime, exempt from social insurance contributions, medical insurance contributions, and income tax. Beneficiaries will be able to use the vouchers for one year at accredited rural tourism facilities.