Blue Air acredited for Boeing 737
Blue Air carrier has been recently approved to operate as an Instruction Organization, according to the certificate issued by the Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority (RCAA). The certification, worldwide recognized, offers the smart-flying company the possibility of instructing the pilots that wish to specialize on flying the Boeing 737 or of those that whish to convert on this type of plane. During instruction, flight simulators brought from Brussels, Berlin or Amsterdam, are being used. Blue Air has been constantly investing in professional development and it has a technical base in Bucharest that assures the maintenance of its own aircraft or of planes belonging to other companies.
Promotion on 3 international channels
CNN, Euronews and Eurosport are the three international TV channels that the Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism selected for its campaign of promoting the beauties and values of Romania as a tourist destination. The campaign will cover 12 months and will show different trailers of 20 up to 30 seconds. Their concept underlines the Romanian values and cultural heritage, natural resources, a rich mix of historical influences, the Romanian authentic traditions. The international TV channels have been selected according the audience, the reference dates for 2010 being offered by the European Media and Marketing Survey (EMS).
Radu Enache is the new leader of FIHR
In the General Assembly of the Federation of the Hotel Industry in Romania (FIHR) a new president has been elected. Radu Enache is the main shareholder of Continental Hotels, the most important Romanian hotel chain. He manages a team of professionals that took the mission of repositioning from the economic point of view the interests of the local hotel industry. As a release of FIHR says: „for the moment FIHR confronts a multitude of problems that can be solved only by uniting the forces of all the patronages. There is a lack of coherence and perspective, a dramatic diminish of investments and a disastrous infrastructure. One of our priority subjects is the excessive financial taxes that this economic sector has to face”.
The green MICHELIN in Romanian
The green Michelin
Michelin and Meteor Press launched the Romanian version of the Green Michelin guide for Romania. The work completes the prestigious Michelin collection. Eight sites received the highest distinction, the three stars (meaning a must see): the monasteries in Bucovina, Maramureş, Dragomirna church, Sibiu, the Transfăgărăşan route, Horezu monastery, Prejmer citadel and the Danube Delta. Besides Bucharest several other cities or villages, monuments or museums received two stars (deserve a stop) or one (are interesting).
„Our editors where keen to offer the readers this collection with the most interesting things to see and do in Romania” – said Eric Faidy, Michelin president for Romania and the Balkans. The Green Michelin guide for Romania has 368 pages, includes 22 maps, almost 600 addresses (out of which 400 of places to sleep and eat) and 160 photos.
InterContinental is 40
InterContinental hotel opened in 1971. It has been projected by the Romanian architects Dinu Hariton, Gheorghe Nădrag, Ion Moscu and Romeo Ştefan Belea. The construction, made by Romanian constructors, engineers and workers, took only three years, being a performance of those times. This building has been the first InterContinental in Central and Eastern Europe and, for 25 years, the highest building in Bucharest. For about 30 years it used to be the only international brand five stars hotel in the country.
“The ’66 offered good political conditions in order the InterContinental to come to Bucharest. Together with the chief architect of the capital, prof. Horia Maicu, we have started the studies for the future locations. Initially the hotel was projected as well with three wings but shorter. The Americans appreciated that the University Square is the city centre so then we built it there, on the spot of the <La Zisu> restaurant” – remembers Romeo Belea, one of the architects. “The InterContinentalul in Bucharest opened in a favorable political moment. At the inauguration Pan Am brought a plane full with American tourists. In this way the hotels started full from the beginning” – recalls George Opriş, former Rooms Division Manager (1971 –1996).
Initially the hotel had 423 rooms and apartments. Today it showcases 257. Along the years famous politicians, singers or VIPs used the InterContinental in Bucharest: Bill Gates, Harlem Globe Trotters team, Robert Gates – the Pentagon leader, Zucchero, Demis Roussos, Jose Carreras, Jacques Yves Cousteau, Luciano Pavarotti, Richard Claydermann, Bjorg Borg, Billy Idol, the Kessler sisters, Yehudi Menuhin, etc.
OUR INTERVIEW
LUCIAN BORONEA: „The decisions you take in a business have a limited value!”
Lucian Boronea is the general director of the tourism agency Accent Travel & Events. He has been holding this position since 1999 when the company started. Born in 1970 in Topliţa (Harghita county) he majored the “Ovidiu Tăslăuanu” College. In 1994 he became a graduate of the Commerce faculty of the Academy of Economic Studies (ASE) in Bucharest.
During his very dynamic career he acquired studies and preparation stages in aviation, hotel industry, travel and organizations. He is a part of the new wave in Romanian tourism industry and, from this position, he observes that “Romanian tourism has a huge potential but is very little used by the local agencies. I believe that the events tourism, made in a professional manner, will always be a winning card”.
TRANSILVANIA FEST will be in BLAJ
The no. 7 edition of the Transilvania Fest culture and gastronomy festival will take place, July 29-31, in Alba County, on Câmpia Libertăţii in Blaj. „After the last editions in Cluj and Sibiu, we have now chosen Alba. We are glad that Blaj will host us this year as the city is full of hospitality and offers good cultural, economic and logistic value. This year you will meet in Transilvania Fest: traditional craftsmen, regional food products, the alleys of flowers, cheese, wine and honey, events dedicated to children (ateliers of „Educating your senses”), theatre shows, ethno-blues, folk-jazz, open air cinema, cooking shows” – said the organizers.
Turda Fest, nowadays named Transilvania Fest, was first organized in 2005. In 2008 it started changing its location. The event is organiyed under the patronage of Her Royal Majesty Princess Margareta of Romania and His Highness Prince Charles of Wales. Traveller Magazin is one of the media partners of this event.
Romanian hoteliers for United Way
Concept Hotels Company and United Way Romania foundation have started the campaign “Romanian hoteliers helping United Way”. As Dragoş Popescu said: “our financial target is obtaining 10.000 euro in one year, by allotting a percent of all the money obtained from selling our Aloe Vera products. This is the first line of hotel cosmetics especially created to help humanitarian projects. The products have been specifically marked as such. I am sure that the initiative will be of great success”.
Opened in 2001 Concept Hotels has over 700 HoReCa clients. United Way is foundation working since 1887 in USA and presently activates in 45 countries on 6 continents. “United Way Romania serves projects in education, health, and social integration domains” – said Adriana Stoica, executive director of United Way Romania. Travel journalists talked over the subject with Kurt Strohmayer, president of Aducco Management and Mihai Zamfir, general manager of Trianon hotel, members of the organizational team of the campaign.
