Radio Romania International: THE BLACK SEA COAST AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON

THE BLACK SEA COAST AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON 29/05/2008 The resorts on the Romanian Black Sea Coast are the Romanians’ favourite domestic tourist destination. The Romanian Black Sea coast is over 245 km long, but, taking into account that the Danube Delta Biosphere reserve covers the northern part, only the southern part of the Black sea coast is used for tourist purposes - to be more precise, the segment between Navodari and Vama Veche. The coast stretching between these two localities boasts beaches with fine sand. To this we can add the sea, boasting low salinity, offering tourists everything needed for a relaxing holiday. The seaside resorts on the Romanian Black sea coast are Navodari, Mamaia, Eforie Nord, Eforie Sud, Techirghiol, Costinesti, Olimp, Neptun, Jupiter, Cap Aurora, Venus, Saturn, Mangalia. And to this list we can add tourist locations like 2 Mai and Vama Veche.

Traian Barbulescu, spokesperson for the National Associations of Tourist Agencies gave us further details about the 2008 summer season on the Romanian Black Sea Coast:

“For 2008 there’s much more on offer as compared to previous years. There’s lots of variety, both in terms of the types of services and the length of the season. This year the season started on May 1st. At present there are a lot of tourists at the seaside. I could even say that, as a first we had tourists from April onwards, during the NATO summit. This year we’ll have more hotels with all inclusive offers. Some hotels have already announced their intention to move over to all-inclusive service. And next year we hope there will be more such hotels. 4 and 5 star hotels have been built and different travel agencies have different packages on offer. Over May - June period we have less expensive offers than in the previous years”.

What have the local authorities done to increase the tourist potential of the Romanian Black Sea Coast and which are the favourite resorts? Corina Martin, the president of the Association for the Promotion and Development of Seaside Tourism has the details.

" Mamaia has maintained its top position among Romania’s seaside resorts. It can be considered the gem of the Romanian Riviera at the moment. Our main concern is to make resorts on the southern side of the coast more attractive, as we have set out to promote the entire coast. So Mangalia Tourist Harbour was inaugurated in the southernmost city of Mangalia, we have ambitious projects in this respect, such as linking Mangalia to the city of Balcic, on the Bulgarian Riviera. But at the moment Mamaia has the largest number of leisure opportunities on offer. We have an Aqua Magic water-park here, a Telegondola, we have double-deckers that will be driving up and down the seafront, and there is the Seaside Tour, including the the Constantsa City Tour and the Mamaia City Tour. Then there is the Casino area in Mamaia, where this year we’re going to have lots of events. These include Formula One on water, as well as the Aero Grand prix, due to start on June the 7th in Mamaia, which is a spectacular air show, and a renowned international event. We’ll also have the Golden Belt in boxing, an Argentinean tango festival, and lots of ensembles from several continents that will have performances at the Mamaia Casino. This year we’ll see a premiere: “Moda e Musica sote le stele” is an event from Milan, and after its performance in Mamaia it will go straight to New York..”

What’s on offer at the Romanian seaside this summer is complemented by the spa treatment facilities. Located 14 kilometers north of Constantsa, Eforie Nord has recently grabbed the attention of Romanian and foreign tourists. The accommodation on offer has been improved as a host of new hotels and guesthouses have been built, and existing accommodation facilities were modernized. Spa clinics in Eforie Nord use the mud with therapeutic qualities, from the nearby Techirghiol Lake. Saturn is another resort that in recent years has developed rapidly, thanks to huge investments made in the resort’s hotel and leisure facilities. Hotels on the seashore were refurbished and modernized, and there’s also an aqua park. Each modernized, 3-star hotel has its own spa facility, giving tourists the opportunity to mix holidays with spa treatment.

The Romanian seaside also offers diving. The top spots for diving are located in the southern part of the coast, where rocks and stone slabs replace the sandy sea bed. Here divers can discover an ecosystem rich in algae, crabs and fish, but also shipwrecks. Parachute gliding and pleasure flights on board the light planes or helicopters complete the activities on offer; tourists can even enjoy a bird’s eye view of Romania’s fascinating Danube Delta. Each resort has its own aqua park, garden restaurants with traditional food, clubs, discos, and sports courts, offering the opportunity to enjoy a memorable holiday on the Romanian Black Sea Coast.


source:
Radio Romania International
http://www.rri.ro