Holiday vouchers are (or holiday vouchers) are vouchers that employers offer to employees as a bonus for work done over a period of time.

Holiday vouchers can be used as a means of payment for tourist services that can only be used for holidays in tourist areas in Romania. Holiday vouchers are nominal and non-transferable, are deductible and exempt from other taxes, both for the employee and the employer. Holiday vouchers can be in the form of paper or electronic vouchers. Holiday vouchers - tourist pass, have the same benefits as meal vouchers, with which the beneficiary can buy tourist services in Romania (for accommodation, meals, transport and other tourist benefits).

Holiday vouchers are valid for one year from the date of issue and can only be used by the beneficiary on the basis of his/her identity card. A holiday voucher can be worth 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 lei.

With holiday vouchers you can pay for several types of services, only in Romania, such as: accommodation at any kind of tourist establishment, packages including accommodation and meals, packages with accommodation and medical treatments, accommodation and transport packages (train, coach or even plane tickets), accommodation and leisure packages in the country. Beneficiaries may not use holiday vouchers for holidays or transport tickets outside Romania or for accommodation in establishments not classified as tourist accommodation. Such establishments can be found online with a single Google search of "pensiuni care primescari tichete de vacanta 2018″, or through travel agencies. Each tourist establishment has a unique registration code, thus having the right to offer services to tourists.

Their cash value must be used in full because no change is offered and because you will not get back the unused amount (usually units that accept this type of payment, supplement the services until the payment amount is equal to the total amount of the tickets). If the value of the meal tickets is exceeded, the difference is paid in cash.

How can holiday vouchers be used?

After receiving the vouchers from the employer, you as a beneficiary can choose the accommodation (hotel, guesthouse) where you decide to spend your holiday. But be careful! You must check if the accommodation is on the list of partners of the issuer of the holiday vouchers you received from your employer. There are 3 possible issuers, Cheque Dejeuner Romania (cheque vacances), Sodexo (Sodexo Turist Pas) and Edenred (ticket vacances). The majority of holiday vouchers issued by employees are cheque vacances. After this check you can then go to the accommodation establishment of your choice and pay for services with the vouchers. The total value of these holiday vouchers is 1450 lei.

What else do you need to know, as a beneficiary of "holiday vouchers"?

• It is strictly forbidden to sell tourist service packages with payment by holiday vouchers, at a higher price than the price of the same package but which is purchased by other means of payment. So you cannot be charged a higher price just because you want to pay with holiday voucher.
• As with meal vouchers you cannot receive REST in cash. But you can pay the difference up to the price of the holiday if the cost of the holiday exceeds the total amount of the vouchers. The difference can be paid in cash, by bank transfer or with electronic cards.
• Holiday vouchers are accepted only for the payment of tourist service packages in Romania and only for accommodation units authorized by the National Tourism Authority, according to the Law in force;
• It is forbidden to sell holiday vouchers in exchange for money or other goods or services.
• Forged or damaged holiday vouchers will not be accepted for settlement. Only vouchers that are intact and have all data visible will be accepted.
• No expired vouchers accepted;
• Vouchers are not accepted from anyone other than the beneficiary. The beneficiary must present his/her identity card when purchasing services. Sometimes, in addition to your identity card, you may also be asked for proof of employment from the place where you work. The travel agent is obliged to check the authenticity of the documents presented in original.
• The maximum commission that the seller can charge must not be more than 10%+VAT, applied to the net value of the packages offered for sale.

Pensions receiving holiday vouchers 

Most hostels accept holiday vouchers, no problem. If you have holiday vouchers, they are valid for a maximum of one year. There are dozens, maybe even hundreds of hostels in Romania that accept holiday vouchers to pay for their services. Not every hostel can or has the right to accept this method of payment. However, on the internet you can find updated lists of all the hostels that are accredited and that accept these vouchers. The supply is large, so finding a hostel that accepts this payment method should be the least of your worries. Once you have found the guesthouse that suits your requirements the only step to accommodation is to get in touch with a contact person who will guide you on how to make a reservation.

Hotels accepting holiday vouchers

As in the case of pensions, there are dozens of accredited hotels in almost all areas of Romania that accept holiday vouchers as an alternative payment. Prices for one night's accommodation differ from one hotel to another, depending on the number of stars (the more stars, the better the services offered). Thus, if in Arges you can find a room at 100 lei per night, in Bucharest or Brasov the price of a hotel room, just for one night of accommodation can jump 250 lei. Not all hotels accept this type of payment. You will have to check if there are hotels in the area where you want to spend your holiday that are willing to offer accommodation paid with holiday voucher.

List of hotels accepting holiday vouchers

The resources provided by a search engine can be of great help when looking for hotel accommodation. Endless lists will appear as a result of your search. What you need to consider this time is whether the hotel you want to stay at accepts payment with holiday vouchers. You can find a complete and updated list of hotels selling holiday voucher packages on the various Ministry of Tourism websites. If you prefer this type of accommodation, you have to take into account that the number of accommodation is much smaller than the number of guesthouses, which automatically means that the number of places is limited and the demand is certainly very high.

Tourist establishments receiving holiday vouchers 

The holiday voucher is accepted by dozens of accredited travel agencies, guesthouses, hotels, cottages and spas. It can be used to pay for tourist services for holidays in Romania and must include: accommodation, meals, transport, spa treatment, leisure activities. Services of tourist interest paid with holiday vouchers must include at least one night's accommodation. Prices differ from one accommodation unit to another or from one region to another. The fact that some accommodation units accept this method of payment does not guarantee a single price. A night's accommodation in a cottage will certainly be cheaper than a night's accommodation in a hotel room. Which tourist establishments offer services based on these vouchers? See below for lists of tourist establishments willing to accept payment by vouchers.

List of tourist units receiving holiday vouchers

First of all, you should know that each tourist accommodation must have a unique code, which certifies that it can offer for sale tourist services with payment in holiday ticket (tourist pass). Check if this code can be found on the updated lists of the Ministry of Tourism website, to make sure everything is perfectly legal. The offer on the market is flourishing, so in any tourist area in Romania you want to spend your holiday, you will surely find tourist establishments that accept holiday vouchers. Such tourist establishments can be: hotels, hostels, cottages, villas or tourist agencies.

See if the company you work for offers this type of benefit and don't hesitate to use them, because they are very useful, especially financially. No matter which accommodation you choose, be sure that your choice is the right one for you and your family. We wish you a pleasant holiday and hope that we have been of help to you with our information.