Bucharest's five-star Howard Johnson Grand Plaza Hotel posted a turnover worth 9 million euros for the first six months of the year, a 12% increase against the same time last year. "The main factors behind the growth include the increase in Bucharest's rating as a destination for business travel, the rise in the number of large-scale political, economic and even sporting events, as well as the number of international trade fairs organised in Bucharest," explained Gratiela Badicu, marketing and sales manager at Howard Johnson Grand Plaza Hotel.

The hotel registered an average occupancy rate of approximately 70% in the first half of the year and generated a 10% increase against the same period last year.

"We estimate to derive a turnover worth over 14 million euros by the end of the year," stated the Howard Johnson representative.

At the end of last year, the hotel saw an approximately 13 million-euro turnover, with growth estimates for the end of 2007 standing at approximately 8%.

Next year, hotel operators will deal with the largest event hosted in Bucharest, the NATO summit, which will be organised between April 2 and April 4 and is certain to have a positive impact on business. The event will bring together over 3,000 delegates, with organisation costs, so far, amounting to approximately 30-35 million dollars (23-26 million euros). The travel agency selected to handle the booking of accommodation for the 3,000 delegates is Vacanta, which won the tender and also provided travel services for last year's Francophony Summit.

"The NATO summit is clearly a good opportunity for hotels in Bucharest and throughout the country, both in terms of promoting our image and gaining greater recognition on foreign markets, as well as from a financial point of view," added Badicu. According to the Howard Johnson representative, this event will have a pos