$80m for tourism infrastructure

Infrastructure investments, which will also impact on tourism, will revolve around 70-80 million dollars this year, with the main projects aimed at revamping the touristic harbour Tomis and upgrading the Tulcea harbour and airport, said Tourism minister Miron Mitrea.

“The state budget has 12 million dollars scheduled for tourism this year, but this amount will be supplemented by more financing sources. We would like to have some 25-30 million dollars at hand, to spend for tourism and for promotional activities,” Mitrea told a seminar on ecotourism.

As for Romania’s image, the ministry will mainly promote ecotourism this year, with this concept to be the focus of an advertising campaign that will be launched in May.

“Romania has no touristic identity and that is why we shall suggest a gallery of images that can help us build such an identity. Romania is an ecotourism country. Ergo, Romania is a trendy country. This is the image we should be selling this year,” Mitrea explained.

The new promotional ad will be picked up by several foreign television companies – MTV, Eurosport, CNN and Euronews in May.

Romania is well-positioned to enter the international ecotourism circuit, as it is home to the Danube Delta, several natural reserves, old monasteries in Bucovina and centennial traditions that have been preserved in some areas.

The seminar, however, also outlined the major problems affecting this sector, such as the lack of promotional campaigns and human resources, the need to impose tight regulations to help protect the environment and the disappearance of old customs in certain towns.

Speaking about the situation in the Danube Delta and the numerous buildings erected in this area in the past few years, minister Mitrea said there was a limit on the protection of environment and tourists.

“Those in charge with the Delta seem to believe this is their own turf. If they could, they would only allow tourists on the navigable channels. There is a limit. There are protected areas, but also areas that we need to show to the tourists,” Mitrea stated.

There are 19 tourist tracks in the Danube Delta at present.