ANAT warns that the 2026 summer season on the Romanian seaside risks being blocked

ANAT representatives accuse „the public campaign launched in recent days by the Minister of the Environment, Waters and Forests, Diana Buzoianu, who chose to transform an old and well-known problem into a momentary political spectacle”.

The association’s leadership claims that it does not dispute the reported reality, but says that the improvised solutions found on the seaside are the direct consequence of a systemic failure of the Romanian state, which, for over 20 years, has not been able to provide the minimum sewage infrastructure.

“It seems that tourism, instead of being supported, is everyone’s target. We’d rather close everything down and declare our country non-touristy,” says Dr. Alin Burcea, president of ANAT.

Representatives of the association claim that “it’s easy to discover

They say that “each operator is doing the best they can to operate. Not because they want to operate at their limit, but because they have no other option.”

Beach operators are not the cause of the problem, but its effect, say ANAT representatives: “They invested millions, developed services, kept the coastline alive and attracted tourists, while the state, through institutions such as Apele Române, has mainly limited itself to collecting royalties, without delivering the necessary infrastructure.”

Moreover, the statements last fall, according to which the rent of a beach would be equivalent to the receipts of a single day, directly contributed to a serious distortion of perception and to administrative decisions that led to a tripling of costs for the 2026 season, ANAT reports. These costs do not disappear, they will inevitably be transferred to the prices paid by tourists and to the competitiveness of the Romanian seaside.

“If the objective was to abolish the arranged beaches, then it would have been more honest not to rent them out. Instead, we are witnessing a combination of populist statements and incoherent measures, which lead in exactly the same direction, but without responsibility. This is not public policy. It is hypocrisy,” ANAT adds.

Representatives of the association claim that operators are being turned into scapegoats in an image campaign: „We have repeatedly asked for investments, deadlines and solutions. We have only received promises and, now, accusations. If urgent measures are not taken to make the infrastructure available or, at least, to temporarily regulate the existing situation, the consequences will be obvious to everyone: the beaches will become unsuitable spaces, and the tourists’ experience will suffer seriously. (…) Romanian tourism cannot be managed through clips and momentary reactions. We do not need a „TikTok minister”, but serious public policies, real investments and responsibility”.

ANAT draws attention to the fact that, in the absence of measures, the 2026 summer season is not only in danger, but is directly called into question.

Diana Buzioanu announced massive checks on the seaside, after „pipes that went directly into the sea”, gas tanks and illegal pits were discovered.