Through this partnership, Christian Tour will be able to include a FlixBus coach journey as part of a vacation package from any of the numerous European cities served by FlixBus. This will make booking summer vacations easier and more convenient for customers who choose to travel by bus.
"We are delighted that through this partnership, FlixBus vacations will become even more accessible for passengers in Romania. Partnering with Christian Tour, one of the major players in Romania's tourism sector, is a significant step towards a fully integrated booking experience. We hope this will encourage people to leave their cars at home and consider traveling by coach for their summer vacations. Collaborating with local agencies is crucial to ensuring that as many people as possible have access to convenient travel options," said Adrian Rășoiu, FlixBus representative for Romania and Bulgaria.
Collaborating with a global brand like FlixBus allows us to benefit from the expertise and resources of an international transportation network, thus enhancing the variety of travel options we offer our customers. We constantly strive to meet all their travel needs and provide as much flexibility as possible, at the most affordable prices," said Cristian Pandel, CEO & President of Christian Tour.
FlixBus operates in more than 100 cities across Romania
In recent years, FlixBus has created the largest intercity coach network in Europe and expanded globally to 43 countries. The company has been present on the Romanian market since 2017 and offers direct international routes from over 100 cities in Romania to 15 countries in Europe.
In June, Flix has announced that it will start daily services to popular holiday destinations in Bulgaria and Greece such as Athens, Thessaloniki, Varna, Albena, Sunny Beach, Balchik, Golden Sands, Byala and Obzor. Those planning a city break will also be able to travel with FlixBus coaches to cities such as Sofia, Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Prague or Istanbul.
Ticket prices to Bulgarian coastal destinations start from RON 59.90 on the Bucharest - Golden Sands and Balchik route, while tickets to Thessaloniki start from RON 91.99. For the Timisoara - Prague or Cluj-Napoca - Budapest routes coach ticket prices start at RON 252.99 and RON 138.99 respectively.
The most popular summer destinations remain Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria
For the summer season, the star destinations in the Christian Tour network remain Turkey, Greece, Spain, Egypt and Bulgaria. As a percentage of the tour operator's sales in 2023, out-of-country stays accounted for 49%, cultural tours for over 9%, exotic vacations for around 17%, individual travel for over 9%, domestic travel for over 10%, and corporate and air ticket services for around 6%.
"Christian Tour can currently access over 500,000 accommodations worldwide through its booking platforms. Last year, Christian Tour opened 13 new agencies in Bucharest and across the country, bringing the total to 43 Christian Tour owned locations and 10 franchises," said Cristian Pandel, CEO & President of Christian Tour.
The demand for collective mobility is growing and people are increasingly looking for affordable means of transportation in the face of rising airfares and fuel prices. Last year, 81 million passengers traveled to more than 5,600 destinations in 43 countries using FlixBus, FlixTrain, Greyhound and Kamil Koç services. In Europe alone, Flix reported more than 55 million passengers, an increase of 41% since 2022.
Locally, the expansion of the FlixBus network in Greece and Bulgaria confirms that there is growing demand from Romanian passengers.
"We are already seeing a high level of interest from Romanian passengers for established destinations such as Balchik, Thessaloniki and the Golden Sands, which confirms the openness of tourists to travel by coach. By increasing the number of destinations available in Romania we hope to contribute to a change in the way people travel, while also taking into account the impact on the environment," said Adrian Rășoiu.
Sustainability increasingly important for travelers and the tourism sector
The latest World Tourism Organization report highlights that more and more travellers are taking sustainability issues into account when planning their holidays. Moreover, in the coming period tourists will increasingly look for value for money and choose to travel closer to home.
Next to the train, coach is a more sustainable alternative to the personal car and air travel for those who want to travel hassle-free to their holiday destination - with an emission factor of 27.8 g CO2 e/passenger km, almost nine times lower than air travel (238 g CO2 e/passenger km) and almost six times lower compared to traveling by personal car (166 g CO2 e/passenger km). Locally, in the Romania - Bulgaria region, in 2023, Flix travellers were able to reduce 18,310 tons of CO2 by traveling with FlixBus over other modes of transport. All Flix coaches (98%) in Europe are equipped with the latest EURO VI efficiency standard.
As part of its decarbonization strategy, Flix is committed to carbon neutral operations in Europe by 2040 and globally by 2050.
