From Paper Registry to National Platform
It's late in Năvodari, in full season. A tourist from Germany checks in, leaves her suitcase next to the couch, and the manager ticks a few fields on a tablet: name, ID number, arrival date, departure date.
What until yesterday went into a dusty register, from 2026 will go into a centralized computer system: SIT – Tourism Information System.
What Is SIT and Why It Matters
In May 2025, the Ministry of Economy put up for debate a government decision that modifies the rules on tourist records in accommodation structures, introducing SIT – a digital platform that replaces physical registries and centralizes in real time data from all accommodation units.
The stated goals are:
- Transparency about the real number of tourists
- Reducing bureaucracy
- Better statistical data for public policies in tourism
But for the short-term rental market, SIT is more than a technical upgrade. It's a "single source of truth" for:
- How many tourists a property hosts
- How many nights/year are rented
- What cash flows should, theoretically, appear in tax declarations
New Obligations for Operators
According to the draft, all accommodation structures – from hotels to apartments in short-term rental – will need to:
- Use standardized forms
- Enter tourist identification data in SIT
- Keep records and generate reports at authorities' request
Currently, the obligation to keep tourist records exists, but it's fragmented: many small operators use Excel tables, notebooks, or simple lists. SIT standardizes and, more importantly, connects this data to:
- Police
- Ministry of Tourism
- ANAF
Why ANAF Is Watching SIT with Interest
If an apartment shows 280 occupied nights in a year, but the single declaration "reports" income for 60 nights, the difference becomes visible. If a host claims to rent only occasionally, but SIT shows continuous tourist flow, professional activity becomes evident.
In the context where ANAF already uses data from Booking and Airbnb, introducing SIT means a second independent source of verification.
Practical Impact for Owners and Managers
- Mandatory digitization – even "old school" owners will need a digital flow: tablet, laptop, software connected to SIT
- Chain responsibility – if the owner works with a manager, who enters the data? Who is responsible if they're not reported correctly?
- Data protection – centralized storage of tourists' personal data raises GDPR questions; small operators will need to be more careful about consent and information
Advantage for Those Already Playing by the Rules
Paradoxically, SIT can be a competitive advantage for those already disciplined:
- Simplifies reporting to authorities
- Reduces the risk of fines for lack of records
- Provides clear data on seasonality, average stay duration, tourist flow – useful information for strategy
A serious manager will be able to tell an owner: "I don't just fill your calendar, I also keep your business legally compliant. You have SIT, you have invoices, you have everything you need."
In a rapidly maturing market, that's worth almost as much as high occupancy.
Related articles: New Fiscal Regime 2026 | EU STR Regulations