Archive for Uncategorized

Romania opens its doors to cruise tourism at Constantza’s Danube Summit Conference

June 15, 2008 at 11:07 am · Filed under Uncategorized

The Danube Summit Conference and Exhibition returned to the Romanian Black Sea port of Constantza – the city where the event first convened in June 2002. The 4th Danube Summit, which ran from 4-6 June 2008, took place at the port’s new cruise terminal, in the heart of Constantza’s port area. Leaders from southeast Europe’s transport and logistics community convened to discuss Danube and Black Sea cooperation as the key theme of the conference.
While the Port of Constantza serves both river and maritime cruise vessels, the highlight of the conference was a roundtable workshop on the promotion of maritime cruise tourism in Romania and in the Black Sea.

Officially supported by the Romanian Ministry of Transport and the Regional Council of the Constantza area, Constantza’s selection as the venue reflected its leading position as a transit and hub port for the Black Sea region. Container throughput over the past five years has seen spectacular growth, with some 130,000 TEU handled in 2002, rising to a forecast of 2.0 million TEU in 2008.

A focal point of the Danube Summit was the cruise workshop that took place on 6 June, which united Constantza’s local leaders, including the Constantza City Council, the Port of Constantza, the Romanian Riviera Tourism Promotion Board, ship agents, tour operators, and the Romanian border police, plus Venezia Terminal Passeggeri and the Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports (MedCruise). MedCruise Secretary General, Jose Campos, stressed the importance of the local players’ collaboration in developing short- and long-term strategic plans towards the final goal, which they agreed was for Constantza to become a celebrated cruise port.

“This is MedCruise’s first official visit to Romania and we are genuinely honoured to take part in the Danube Summit and its special section dedicated to cruise tourism,” stated Campos. ”In our view, Constantza Port, which became a member of MedCruise in 2007, is ready to serve as the gateway for many thousands of cruise tourists to enter Romania for the first time. Romania is a fascinating country ready to be discovered.”

Campos spoke of the high growth rates in cruise passenger traffic at its member ports in the Black Sea, and in particular, at Constantza, which has seen maritime cruise traffic increase from approximately 1,500 passengers in 2002 to over 16,000 in 2007. Holland America’s MS Rotterdam is calling at Constantza this season and Costa Crociere is now returning to Constantza after an absence of several years.

Local tourism promoters and ship agents discussed the investments that have been made to improve services and facilities for cruise passengers calling at Constantza, including tailored shore excursions focusing on the region’s diverse culture and history dating before the sixth century BC. Those present linked the development of cruise tourism with the growth of tourism in general and the economic development of the area.
“From the host port’s perspective, the Danube Summit was a success”, said Constantin Matei, General Manager of the Port of Constantza. “Compared to the 2002 edition, when 150 guests were present, this year the event counted with almost 300 participants and this means that the Port of Constantza is of great interest to the world of maritime and river transportation.”

“The Port of Constantza offers all the necessary conditions for the development of cruise tourism,” Matei continued, “but we depend on more than infrastructure. The cruise terminal has the capacity of 100,000 passengers, but last year only 25,000 river and sea passengers transited it. The number of passengers will grow when Constantza and Romania are seen as key tourist destinations. The cruise terminal is a gate, not a destination. We must develop tourist attractions for our country to become an interesting tourist destination, to offer them not only an attractive Constantza, but also an attractive Romania, and for this to happen, several institutions are now working together.”

http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/26130

Comments

Visit Romania posts 26% drop in business

June 12, 2008 at 8:20 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

Visit Romania, one of the top 10 travel agencies on the local market, posted €1.9 million in turnover for the first quarter, some 26 percent lower than in Q1 2007.

The decline is attributed to a lower ratio of business travel and a higher ratio of the outgoing segment in the company’s business, according to Visit Romania’s Commercial Manager, Cristina Teodoru, for Business Standard. In the outgoing segment, sales are higher in July, August and September, she added.

Visit Romania posted €10.5 mln in turnover in 2007, slightly lower year-on-year, and expects net sales of some €9 mln this year, 16 percent lower than in 2007, according to Cristina Teodoru.

Among the agency’s main competitors are Marshal Turism, Eximtur, Paralela 45, Aerotravel, and Happy Tour.

www.standard.ro

Comments

Aerotravel foresees €36 mln worth of business in 2008

June 4, 2008 at 6:04 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

Aerotravel Lufthansa City Center, one of the top three travel agencies locally, posted €10 million worth of business in the first four months of 2008, 22 percent higher year-on-year.

Both leisure and business travel segments contributed to this growth, according to the company’s Marketing Manager, Claudia Stan.

Aerotravel Lufthansa City Center estimates €36 million by the end of the year.

Claudia Stan recently told Business Standard that business people have begun segmenting their holidays by purchasing products that allow them to visit several places in a short amount of time. She added that Romania’s accession to the EU has increased Romanian appetite for travel abroad.

Aerotravel has been operating on the local market since 1998, and obtained the Lufthansa City Center franchise in 2000. It specializes in business travel, but introduced leisure packages four years ago, and charter flights as of 2005.

Among its main competitors are Happy Tour, Marshal Turism, Paralela 45, and Eximtur.

Comments

Roll on Romania: Tripping in Transylvania

June 3, 2008 at 1:12 pm · Filed under Attractions, Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

Transylvania, a region situated in central and western Romania is most famous for its mysterious and spooky fictional resident: Dracula.

Though Dracula is a work of fiction, written by the Irishman Bram Stoker, its lead character was based in part on a real life figure: the Transylvanian-born Vlad III Dracula of Wallachia. Vlad ruled parts of Romania during the 1400s and remains a heroic historical character for Romanians due to his defence of the common people against foreign aggressors.

However, amongst the English speaking nations of the world, Vlad is most famed for his exceedingly cruel methods of punishment that he administered during his reign. Often referred to as ‘Vlad The Impaler’, as the name suggests, his preferred method of execution was impalement; victims would be forced on to oiled spikes or have stakes driven into them slowly, to cause an excruciating, prolonged death which could take several days.

Dracula has caused much interest in Romania and in Transylvania in particular, and it is possible to take part in a Dracula tour; but there is much more to this region than vampires. Transylvania is also now attracting tourists who are interested in visiting remote Transylvanian villages in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. The area is characterised by medieval villages that have remained the same for hundreds of years, and have avoided the blight of new development seen in other parts of Eastern Europe.

Winters are long in Transylvania, lasting from October till the beginning of April, and are known for being the most beautiful season to visit the region. Sports-minded visitors can ski at the Poiana Brasov resort, situated at 1900m, with 13 trails ranging in difficulty and served by 3 cable cars and 8 drag lifts. It also has an ice rink for slightly more sedate winter pursuits.

Animal lovers can indulge in tracking activities where a local wildlife guide will take you out and teach you how to identify various animal species from their tracks in the snow. The is also the option to go for a horse drawn sleigh ride, or if you’d prefer to do the walking, then there are plenty of snow shoeing trails that will allow you to the explore the enchanted forests of the area.

The entire Transylvania region is very picturesque, and often likened to a land of fairly tales, on account of the many turreted castles, and châteaus that dot the landscape. Plus of course the area will also satisfy history and culture enthusiasts, especially those interested in the medieval period. Accommodation varies from rustic holiday rentals to small hotels and guest houses and tends to be inexpensive.

Horror, Gothic and Vampire fans are likely to continue to be drawn to Transylvania as the blood thirst for Dracula shows little sign of slowing. However, the beautiful, largely untouched nature of the region is also attracting a growing legion of visitors, so if you want to see Vlad’s birth land before the crowds arrive, now is the time to take a trip to Transylvania.

Article source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/roll-on-romania-tripping-in-transylvania-281482.html

Comments

Holidays Of Romania - Great Time To Enjoy

June 3, 2008 at 1:06 pm · Filed under Attractions, Romania, Uncategorized ·Tagged , ,

Holidays are something everybody looks forward to. They are the time when you unwind and rejuvenate yourself after long and hectic work schedules. You can also do things like indulging in a hobby or finish that important chore, which has remained half done for a long time. Here is a list of the days, declared holidays in Romania.

The days declared official holidays are different from weekend holidays, because they can be on any day of the week. However, like weekends, they are not free days for everyone. Public utilities, like municipal entities, public transport, police stations, etc. as well as eateries and factories with a non-stop production process remain open even on such days.

People employed with these institutions are compensated with a day off within the next 30 days. These days the Work Code in Romania lays down the following holidays. 1st and 2nd January are declared holidays for the New Year. For the Easter holidays, you have a choice of availing them in either April or in May, according to the branch of Christianity that you follow.

Then the 1st of May is a holiday marking the International Workers’ Day. The 1st of December is celebrated as the National Day of Romania. On that date in the year 1918 Transylvania was united with the Romanian Kingdom, leading to the formation of modern Romania. Again, Christmas Holidays fall on the 25th and the 26th of December. During Christmas people get together in family reunions and celebrate the Christmas spirit with their family members.

There are many other holidays, which are no less important in the Romanian calendar. 24th January marks the day of unification of Moldavia and Walachia. On that day in the year 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected as the ruler of both the counties. It is a very important day in the history of evolution of the nation state of Romania.

Another special day in the Romanian calendar is the Women’s Day, which is on March 8th. On that day children convey their love for their mothers; students for their female teachers. Husbands make it a point to bring flowers and shower gifts on their wives. It is also a day, when women celebrate by throwing an all girls’ party among themselves.

Romanian heroes, who fought in battles down the ages, are remembered by their grateful countrymen on Ascension Day. Children’s Day on 1st June is marked by widespread festivities. Children all over Romania take part in competitions like arts or sports contests according to their age groups. The National Flag Day is observed on the 26th of June. Incidentally, the Romanian flag has three colors - red, yellow, and blue. The color red stands for sacrifice, symbolizing the blood spilled by the heroic martyrs. The color yellow stands for prosperity, reflecting the color of a golden summer harvest. Finally, blue stands for hope for a great future.

The 29th of June is observed as the National Anthem Day. The national anthem of Romania is a somber song written by a Romanian poet. Its title, “De steapta-te, romane!” means “Romanians, stand up for your Rights!”. December 8th marks the Constitution Day, as the present constitution of Romania came into effect on that day in the year 1991.

Lastly, there are two special holidays which mean a lot to the young people of Romania. The first is called Dragobetele and is celebrated with gusto on 24th February. That is not surprising, since it is something like Valentine’s Day. The second one is a special day observed on 1st March. On this day Romanian males, including children, offer small talismans called “martisoare” to the people they love. But it is actually meant for the Romanian girls and womenfolk.

Romanian women are known to be amongst the most gorgeous, chic, immaculately dressed, well read & family orientated women on earth. Don’t even think about searching for a Romanian bride, until you have read our hard hitting and honest reviews of the best Romanian dating web sites. Don’t get scammed. Visit us now.

Comments

viaRomania.eu uses Yahoo Maps

May 16, 2008 at 1:30 pm · Filed under Accommodation, Guest Houses, Hotels, Uncategorized ·Tagged , ,

Starting today www.viaRomania.eu portal uses Yahoo Maps, so accommodation units can be located more easily through their positions on the map. Of course maps are updated at this moment only for the big cities and even here there are enough “wholes”, but once implemented, the system only needs updates from Yahoo.

In the section “How to get there” on each page of accommodation units present in the catalogue viaRomania.eu street map is presented with the possibility of displacement and zoom function (away / close) active.

For the moment all localities benefit from the new function, but gradually the new service will be inactivated for the localities in which the maps are not updated.

yahoo_maps

Comments

Hello world!

May 9, 2008 at 9:03 am · Filed under Accommodation, Attractions, Guest Houses, Hotels, Reviews, Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , ,

Since this is the first post, I will keep the “Hello world” title :)

This blog will show you why you should visit Romania and most important where you should accommodate and what to visit if you decide to travel to Romania.

There are hundred of accommodation places in Romania: hotels, guest houses or apartments and you should be well informed before booking any of them. Accommodation can be fun or can be a pain and you should take no risks. Stay tune for travel tips, recommended accommodation and real people reviews.

Welcome to Romania!

Comments