TOURISM

By courtesy of Ministry of Transport, Constructions and Tourism and the National Institute of Statistics

 

Romania lies at the crossroads of many European routes and it is easy to reach here by any transportation means: by plane, car, train or ship. The country’s landscapes of exquisite beauty and great diversity offered by a harmonious distribution of plains, hills and mountains, make Romania ideal for tourism1).

The Romanian Carpathians – the southern chain of which the French geographer Emmanuel de Martonne would call „The Transylvanian Alps“ – feature a unique landscape from the point of view of variety. An exquisite diversity of shapes can be seen here, from peaks and valleys reminding of old glaciers to the fantastic scenery of deep caves.

Tourists can spend memorable holidays in mountain resorts, some of them famous all over the world. Poiana Brasov, Predeal, Sinaia, Busteni on the Prahova Valley, Vatra Dornei in the north, Slanicul Moldovei, Borsec and Sovata in the central area of the mountains, Caciulata and Calimanesti in the south, Muntele Mic, Semenic and Baile Herculane in the south-west, Stâna de Vale in the north-west are only a few names of a widespread tourist network providing high-standard accommodation.

Almost 200 resorts have been developed in the mountain, hill and plain areas, placing Romania among the first countries in the world in this respect. Many resorts and spas are, medically speaking, a genuine “pharmacy of nature”, due to the springs with curative effects. A large number of diseases are successfully treated in these spas, sometimes with miraculous results.

Hunting and fishing are other reasons for a tourist to spend his holidays in Romania. Deer, bears, wolves, foxes, wild boars, wild birds, hares, quails, pheasants etc. can be hunted in all hunting seasons.

The sea shore - one of Europe’s widest seacoasts - has a large number of resorts spreading over 90 kilometers, each special in its own way, offering tourists wonderful holidays and cures in sanatoriums.

Situated in the central-eastern part of Romania, the Delta is enclosed by the three branches of the Danube, flowing into the Black Sea (out of the 2,000 kilometers of the great European river, 1,075 kilometers are on Romanian territory). The Danube Delta is the biggest in Europe. Its beauty, the unique landscapes, the rich vegetation and wildlife (also appreciated by Jacques-Yves Cousteau) made UNESCO declare it a biosphere reservation.

The beautiful landscapes, the great diversity of cultural and historical monuments offer huge opportunities for the development of tourism in this country. Complete privatisation, revised fiscal policy and increased investment are a few of the instruments meant to expand and modernise the tourist potential in order to achieve sustainable development of tourism in Romania. Moreover, rural tourism – boarding in peasants’ houses – has greatly developed in recent years attracting more and more visitors.

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1) Romania’s relief consists of three major levels: the highest one in the Carpathians (the highest peak Moldoveanu, 2544 m), the middle one, corresponding to the Sub-Carpathians, hills and plateaus and the lowest level in the plains, meadows and Danube Delta.

    Statistical data on tourism

According to the last country report of the World Travel and Tourism Council (“Romania, The Impact of Travel & Tourism on Jobs and the Economy”, London), Romania is seen as a country with a huge potential, having a unique cultural and natural heritage and offering year-round attractions.

Romania ranks fourth out of 174 countries in long-term growth in demand. Membership of NATO in 2002 and the projected accession of the European Union (EU) in 2007 mean that international awareness of Romania is growing. The mid-1990s saw renewed interest in tourism from central government, when tourism was identified as a national priority.

Romania’s Travel and Tourism is expected to account for 485 002 jobs, representing 5.8% of total employment in 2006, taking into account the direct and the indirect effects of the industry. In 2006, this industry is forecast to see real growth of 9.2% in total travel & tourism demand.

The number of international visitor arrivals at Romanian borders in 2005 was of 5 839 400, this representing a decrease with 11.5% in comparison with 2004. This decrease is mainly determined by visitor arrivals from Hungary (-41.5%), following the impressive growth of 69% in 2004. But the perspectives of the Romanian tourism are encouraging, taking into account the dynamics of the arrivals from other European countries, like Portugal (+53.7% in 2005, in comparison with 2004), Spain (+44.5%), Austria (+43%), Great Britain (+40.1%), Denmark (+35.4%), Germany (+19.4%), France (+18.2%), Italy (+17.4%). These positive results are in part determined by the promotion activities of the Tourist Promotion Offices of Romania abroad.

Another encouraging aspect is the fact that the tourism-travel account was positive in 2005 (+136 million Euro; credit: 845 million Euro, debit: 709 million Euro), according to the data provided by the National Bank of Romania.

Graphic 1 – Evolution of visitor arrivals at Romanian borders


Data source: National Institute for Statistics

The decrease of visitor arrivals in 2001 and 2002 is the effect of the 11th of September events that had a negative impact on tourism all over the world. Recent years have registered important growth – more than 16 per cent in 2003 and 18 per cent in 2004.

The majority of international arrivals in Romania are from Europe: 94.6% in 2005. Within the first ranking countries, regarding the number of visitor arrivals, are neighbour bordering countries: Hungary, Moldavia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Serbia and Montenegro and Germany, Italy, Austria, France and the UK.

Graphic 2 - The main residence countries of the visitors at national borders of Romania in 2005 (thousands)


Data source: National Institute for Statistics

It must be mentioned that the number of international tourist arrivals in all accommodation facilities has been constantly increasing for several years.

Graphic 3 – Evolution of the international tourist arrivals in accommodation facilities (thousands)


Data source: National Institute for Statistics

Graphic 4 – International tourist arrivals in all accommodation facilities, by regions, in 2005


Data source: National Institute for Statistics

Romania’s hospitality has been developed rapidly during the recent years. The total number of accommodation facilities in 2005 was of 4226, with a total number of 283 194 bed places. The total number of bed places in hotels represents almost 58% from the total. The majority of accommodation facilities are of 1 and 2 stars, but the number of those of 3, 4 and 5 stars is increasing year by year.

Graphic 5 – Accommodation facilities, by comfort categories, in 2005


Data source: National Institute for Statistics

   In Search of Romania’s Wonders

 Romania is a land of astonishing beauty and diversity and has been waiting for years to be discovered and appreciated at its real value. Impressive archeologic sites, breath-taking churches, amazing castles, palaces and fortresses, medieval towns beating the pulse of history, wonderful monuments, interlace themselves with the purity of the nature, in order to show the tourist a land of legends. The Romanic, the Gothic, the Baroque, the Renaissance-Western styles and, later, Classicism/neoclassicism and Art Nouveau, combined with the Byzantine elements, put their fingerprint on the Romanian art. The synthesis of two worlds (the West and the East) under the flowing of time, combined with Romanian specificity, outlined the Romanian styles: Wallachian and Brancoveanu – especially in the southern part of Romania, and Moldavian in the east.

There can be traced a multitude of travel-roads in Romania: The Road of UNESCO world heritages, The Road of monuments of nature, The Road of medieval towns, wine Road, etc.

The Road of UNESCO world heritages will bring the tourist the reachest experience of his life: the wooden churches from Maramures (Bârsana, Poienile Izei, Târgu Lapus, etc.), the painted monasteries from Moldova (Moldovita, Sucevita, Voronet, etc.), the saxon sites with strengthened churches in Transylvania (Biertan, Calnic, Prejmer, etc.), the Dacian fortress in Orastie Mountains, Horezu Monastery, Sighisoara historic centre, the Danube Delta – Reservation of the Biosphere. One can feel himself the most powerful person on the earth, after the contact with the power of history, the force of nature and, above all, the touch of the Divinity.

The Road of monuments of nature… Visitors experience alpine pastures, wide plateaus covered with flowers, extraordinary passes, gorges, and cavernous limestone caves, glacial lakes. Glaciers have helped to create terraced valleys that end in magnificent glacial bays, lakes and waterfalls, everything underlining the majesty of nature.

The Road of medieval towns includes some of the most astonishing towns of Romania: Timisoara, Sighisoara, Alba Iulia, Sibiu, Brasov, Târgoviste, Cluj Napoca, Baia Mare, Bistrita. Sibiu/Hermannstadt, having a complex cultural profile, with a great number of cultural monuments, a diversity of museums, and various artistic and cultural events will be in 2007 the European Capital of Culture, together with Luxembourg.

The wine Road… Taking into account Platon’s say, that “wine is the cure against aging”, we could rephrase it as it follows: traveling on the Wine Road in Romania will become the most impressive experience for those looking for the elixir of eternal youth. The legend says that Dionysos was born in Thracia, the actual territory of Romania; the archaelogical sites attest that the technique of producing and depositing wine is here 6000 year old.

The seven vineyard regions of Romania offer the tourist a magic mixture of wonderful landscapes, historical vestiges and joy of life. In these regions there are 37 vineyards with 123 viticulture centers and 40 independent viticulture centers: Moldavia (with the vineyards of Cotnari, Husi, Zeletin, Odobesti, Panciu, Cotesti), Transylvania (with Târnave vineyard, Alba, Sebes-Apold, Aiud, Lechinta), Banat (Moldova Noua, Tirol, Silagiu, Recas and Teremia), Crisana and Maramures (Diosig, Valea lui Mihai), Arad (Minis-Maderat), Dobrudja (Murfatlar, Medgidia, Cernavoda), Muntenia and Oltenia (Dealurile Buzaului, Dealul Mare, Stefanesti-Arges, Dealurile Craiovei, Dragasani, Severin).

Wine tasting includes Romanian, as well as foreign wine types. Feteasca Alba (White Maiden grape) is an old Romanian variety, grown especially in Moldavia and Transylvania. Wines are either dry or semidry, with a balanced alcohol content (11.5-12%), acidity and sugar and feature a velvety, natural finesse. Feteasca Regala (Royal Maiden grape) is an old variety from Transylvania. Wines are dry, fresh, have high acidity and a distinguished flavor. Feteasca Neagra (Black Maiden grape), an old indigenous variety, grows in several areas in Moldavia and Muntenia. These grapes produce dry, semidry or sweet wines, with an alcohol content of 12-12.5%, a deep red color with ruby shades, and a black currant flavor, richer and smoother with aging. Grasa de Cotnari belongs to the old Cotnari vineyard and has been grown for many centuries. Tamâioasa Româneasca produces high quality aromatic wines. Busuioaca de Bohotin grows in a tiny area of Moldavian region of Romania. The wine has a golden rusty color, distinct from any other wine. The foreign varieties include Italian Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Muscat Ottonel, Sauvignon Blanc, Aligote, Traminer (white wines) and Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot (red wines).

Romanian wines were awarded at the most important wine contest of the world: Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. At the 2006 edition, Romanian wine has been awarded one golden medal (Chardonnay - 3 Ha 2003 – produced from Murfatlar) and one silver medal (Feteasca Neagra - Beciul Domnesc 2004 – produced from Vincon Vrancea). At the 2005 edition, Romanian wine had been awarded 7 medals: Rai de Murfatlar Grand Reserve 2001 (golden medal), Lacrima lui Ovidiu 12 (golden medal), Ferma Noua Chardonnay 2003, Trei Hectare Chardonnay 2002, Merlot 2004 – produced from Murfatlar, Prince Matei – Merlot – Gran Reserve 2001 – produced from Vinarte Dealu Mare and Cherry Tree Hill – Merlot 2001 – produced from Halewood Romania Vinuri.

   Tourism programs and projects

The Government has allocated the amount of 325 million Euro for the development and modernization of the Romanian turistic infrastructure. There are five multi-annual programs in progress (2006-2008):

 Other programs developed by the National Authority of Tourism are the following:

Touristic accommodation capacity

Arrivals of foreign visitors

Accommodated in private sector.

For more information - http://www.mt.ro and http://www.romaniatravel.com

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