Business Forum • 18 October, 2024 at 2:37 PM
FlixBus, the travel-tech company operating Europe's largest intercity coach network, announces a significant increase in passenger numbers for the summer season. Between June and September, the company reports a 28% increase in the Bulgaria-Romania region compared to the same period in 2023, with more and more Romanians choosing coach during their vacation.
This summer, FlixBus recorded its highest number of passengers traveling from Romania to international destinations ever. The company has expanded its services to popular coastal holiday destinations in Bulgaria and Greece, ensuring passengers have access to convenient travel options during peak season.
"Amid rising living costs, the demand for affordable travel is growing. At local level, these results are a clear indicator that more and more people are considering coach as a travel option for vacations. The latest Eurostat figures, show that more than 60% of Romanians have given up holidays for economic reasons, similar to the situation in Bulgaria (44%) and Hungary (43%). In the EU, around a third of people aged 16 and over could not afford a week-long trip in 2023. In this context it is more important than ever that people have affordable alternatives to travel," said Adrian Rășoiu, FlixBus Romania representative.
The most popular FlixBus destinations in the summer season
The most popular international destinations for Romanian passengers this summer included nearby cities such as Budapest, Vienna, Istanbul, Varna, Sofia, Golden Sands, Sunny Beach, Thessaloniki and Warsaw. On the other hand, Romania was also an attractive vacation destination for foreign tourists traveling with FlixBus. The most popular destinations in the FlixBus network are Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara, Brasov, Oradea, Arad, Constanta, Constanta, Targu-Mures, Sibiu and Iasi.
"The geographical proximity of destinations such as Vienna, Istanbul or Thessaloniki contributes significantly to their popularity among Romanian passengers. In addition, Bulgarian coastal resorts such as Golden Sands and Sunny Beach have become favorite summer attractions for many passengers from Romania also due to their affordable prices," added Adrian Rășoiu.
In summer, FlixBus has introduced seasonal daily flights to popular holiday destinations in Bulgaria and Greece such as Athens, Thessaloniki, Varna, Albena, Sunny Beach, Balchik, Golden Sands, Beala and Obzor.
"The expansion of our network reflects the growing trend towards collective travel, which helps reduce environmental impact and CO2 emissions. By offering affordable and sustainable travel options, we encourage passengers to make choices that protect the environment, and we are happy to support bringing more foreign tourists to Romania," added Adrian Rășoiu.
This summer FlixBus also entered into partnerships with two major local players, Christian Tour and Self-Pay. Thus, FlixBus coach tickets can be purchased in the more than 10,500 SelfPay payment stations in Romania, as well as in the entire network of Christian Tour agencies.
Sustainability at the heart of Flix's growth
In 2024, the company launched electric coaches in the UK and Portugal, achieving a 100% reduction in CO2 emissions. Similar projects were initiated in Chile, marking the first electric coaches in South America, and biofuel-powered coaches were tested in France and Italy. These initiatives are part of Flix's long-term commitment to achieve Net Zero operations by 2040 in Europe and globally by 2050.
Globally, in 2023, more than 1 million tons of CO2 were avoided thanks to travelers choosing FlixBus over cars or planes. In the Romania-Bulgaria region alone, Flix passengers avoided a total of 18,310 tons of CO2 emissions by choosing coach. According to recent data, FlixBus coaches emit 27.8g CO2 per passenger kilometer, significantly less than airplanes (238g CO2 per passenger kilometer) and private cars (166g CO2 per passenger kilometer).
FlixBus to start operations in Mexico in 2025
In early 2025, FlixBus will expand its network by adding Mexico, the world's third-largest bus market, marking a major milestone in its expansion into Latin America. Flix's entry into Mexico follows its successful launches in Brazil and Chile.
In July 2024, Flix secured a major investment from EQT Future and Kühne Holding, which acquired a 35% minority stake in the company. This partnership will accelerate Flix's expansion plans, including entry into the Mexican market, and enhance existing operations. Towards the end of the year, Flix expects to see network expansions in Finland, Ukraine, India and the South America region adding new lines and destinations in the coming months.
Last year, 81 million passengers traveled to more than 5,600 destinations in 43 countries using FlixBus, FlixTrain, Greyhound and Kamil Koç services. The company has been present on the Romanian market since 2017 and offers direct international flights from over 80 cities in Romania to 16 countries in Europe.