The interview of the week with Mr. Valeriu Toma - ISIC Manager for GTS International Romania

The ISIC Card – a real help for Romanian students


1.infotravelromania.ro: Mr. Valeriu Toma, you have the position of ISIC Manager for the GTS International Romania. What can you tell us about this ISIC card and what it brings new for Romanian students?
V.T.: International Student Identity Card or ISIC has a successful history, since 1949, when a number of student organizations from different countries of the world decided to start a unique and internationally recognized certificate of the student status. These organizations put the bases of ISTC (International Student Travel Confederation) and they managed to transform the ISIC card as the only international recognized and accepted in over 110 countries of the world. The positive implications of the ISIC card in student lives around the world have been appreciated by UNESCO, who also recognize and help the ISIC initiative. The Romanian students now have the opportunity of being a part of the big ISIC community , which has already 5 million card possessors, distributed by over 5000 ISIC agencies.

2.infotravelromania.ro: Beside this international knowledge of the student status, what other advantages has the ISIC card?
V.T.: International Student Travel Confederation and members and distributors of ISIC around the world signet a lot of partnerships and the possessors of the cards benefits of substantial discounts wherever they are. In the present, ISIC is the only card who can guarantee about 33.000 discounts all over the world and, through ISIC there are saved about 500 million USD. Also, the card possessors have access to a emergency phone line (ISIC Emergency Help Line) to the biggest data base of touristic and cultural information for students (Travel Max) and to a communication service, ISIConnect, with 70% discount.

3.infotravelromania.ro: Which are the domains that offers the discounts you are talking about?
V.T.: There is a large area of discounts for the possessors of ISIC. Students benefit of discounts traveling by any mode, to hotels, to the museums, restaurants and bars. How you can see, those discounts are available to the students when they travel and in every day life. I would like to give you an example: GTS International Romania offered to the card possessors in 1-7 September 2004 flying tickets for any destination in Europe. The price was only 149 €, comparable with a bus ticket on the same route.

4.infotravelromania.ro: Beside students, who else can benefit of these discounts?
V.T. The ISIC card has as associates International Youth Identity Card (IYIC) and International Teacher Identity Card (ITIC), and through those 2 cards young people under 26 years old and teachers can benefit of the same discounts.

5.infotravelromania.ro: How can someone get these cards?
V.T.: Somebody who want to get a card can go directly to one of GTS International bureaus, from Bucharest, Cluj or Iasi. They also can complete a form on our web site www.isic-romania.ro. Is requested a photo of the young people and a prove that he’s a part of the categories who can have those cards.

6.infotravelromania.ro: Mr. Valeriu Toma, in the end, please describe in a few words the ISIC card and the importance for Romanian students.
V.T.: Because of the advantages given to the possessors, it’s international knowledge and the simple way of getting it, I could say that the ISIC card is one of the best friends of Romanian student.

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GTS INTERNATIONAL ROMANIA
Adress: 54, Bd. Regina Elisabeta, sector 5, Bucharest
Tel: +40-21 313 45 45
Fax: +40-21 313 45 12 | info@gtsturism.ro | programe@gtsturism.ro | www.gtsturism.ro

GTS INTERNATIONAL ROMANIA
Adress: Casa de Cultura a Studentilor, 1-3, Piata Lucian Blaga, Cluj
Tel: +40 264 45 07 40
Fax: +40 264 45 07 41 | info@gtsturism.ro | www.gtsturism.ro

GTS INTERNATIONAL ROMANIA
Adress: Casa de Cultura a Studentilor, 30, Vasile Conta Street, part, Iasi
Tel: +40 232 21 30 45
Fax: +40 232 21 30 47 | info@gtsturism.ro | www.gtsturism.ro