PIATRA NEAMŢ: European Congress of Rural Tourism
Between October 7th and 10th, in Piatra Neamţ, the European Congress of Rural Tourism that will gather important international and national representatives. The event is organised under the auspices of European Federation of Rural Tourism EuroGites, and has as organisers ANTREC Romania – Neamţ Branch, MDRT, Town Hall of Piatra Neamţ, County Council Neamţ, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Neamţ and the North-East Regional Development Agency. Over 135 experts and foreign officials, around 100 Romanian representatives and around 100 exhibitors have announced their presence at the Congress – they will bring at the Tourism Fair, organised on the third day of Congress – culinary products and preparations specific to rural areas, works of traditional popular art from tissues to icons on glass, as well as a part of the artistic charm of the folkloric chorus that will perform during this event.
THE GUARDIAN – Romania has incredible landscapes !
In a recent article, the publication The Guardian makes new recommendations to British tourists who are looking for an active holiday. Romania is one of them. The publisher is presenting a top of destinations where one may practice different sports. Thus, those who are looking for an adventure and trips, searching new challenges, may go in Făgăraş Mountains, the publication writing that they “provide amazing landscapes of glacial lakes and sharp valleys”. The prices are considered accessible. For instance, an 8-day trip and lodgement in mountain chalets, full board and lodging, with 2 days of trekking in Piatra Craiului National Park, transfer and mountain guide, starts from 655 pounds/person. The great tour of Carpathians – a circuit of 15 days starts from 1.695 pounds, Mythic Maramureş – an 8-day program is recommended to over 1.000 pounds, whereas Transylvania – Land of Dracula – with a duration of 8 days, starts from 845 pounds.
Romania appears in the top of The Guardian besides Portugal, Italy, France, Austria, Spain etc.
The region of TRASFĂGĂRĂŞAN occupies the first place in the top.
Do you know which the most beautiful roads in the world are? But who is occupying the first place in this top? An answer to these questions tried to provide the website carsroute.com elaboration a top 15 of the most beautiful roads in the world. In their evaluation, Transfăgarăşan occupies the first position. This is the second confirmation of top, after that dating three years ago, when the publication Top Gear declared the same objective as “the most beautiful road in the world”. As you know, Transfăgăraşan is the second highest road in Romania (2034 metres), after the road Transalpina (2145 metres).
In the top of carsroute.com, Transfăgăraşan is followed by several roads and passes such as: Stelvio Pass from Italy; Lysebotn Road from Norway; the mountain road Jebel Hafeet, United Arabia Emirates; Col de Turini, France; Los Caracoles Pass, the Andes, Chile-Argentina; San Bernandino Pass, Switzerland; Guoliang Road, China etc.
IRU publishes EU passenger rights manual for fleet operator
The IRU has published a manual for bus and coach operators, providing them with useful information before the 1 March 2013 deadline, regarding their obligations to passengers and aiming to promote increased service quality within the sector. Brussels – The IRU has developed a manual that provides information to bus and coach transport managers about their new obligations towards passengers under the EU Regulation on Passenger Rights that enters into force on 1 March 2013, and includes provisions on assistance, reimbursement, rerouting, compensation, assistance to disabled persons and passenger information, among others. Commenting on the new EU Regulation, IRU Vice President and President of the IRU Passenger Transport Council, Yves Mannaerts, stated, “It is vital that bus and coach operators fully understand the new EU Regulation and are prepared for the consequent major changes to passengers’ rights before the March 2013 implementation date. The new regulation will have significant implications for our industry.” Traveller Magazin is one of the media partners in this campaign.
FLYDUBAI enters on Romanian market
After more than three years since the incorporation of the company, flydubai will perform the first flights on Romanian market. The Arabian air operator is going to diversify the offers from Otopeni airport in Dubai direction, provided up to present by Emirates (with connection however from Istanbul), Qatar Airways (entered last year with four flights to Dubai), respectively Tarom (with direct flight, but during night). flydubai will operate on its turn four weekly flights from Henri Coandă International Airport of Bucharest. The officials of company announced that the rates will start from 440 euros all taxes included. Flydubai holds 23 Boeing 737-800NGs planes. The owner of flydubai is the sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the leader of Dubai Emirate, at the same time vice-president and prime-minister of UAE. Nicolae Demetriade, manager of World Travel, who represents the Emirates as well as flydubai in Romania, declared that, by this entry on market: “The tourists will have the possibility to arrive within 4 hours and 30 minutes in Dubai and to enjoy the entire lodging nights that they are paying to hotels. Thus, at least 2 hours and 30 minutes are saved, another advantage for the travellers. I believe that, after the entry on market of flydubai, the touristic traffic will increase both on business segment and on leisure one in both directions”.
OKTOBERFEST BRASOV – a river of beer
A new edition of the most important Festival of beer in Romania has ended. Between September 6th – 9th, Oktoberfest Braşov rang the curtain down with white foam over the 4th edition. According to the organizer’s tradition – the German Economic Club was supported by the brand Ciucaş, as main partner. According to the same tradition, Traveller Magazine was one of the media partners of the manifestation. It brought in the heart of Braşov borough the Bavarian traditions marvellously combined with Romanian traditions.
The perimeter of „Ion Ţiriac” Sport Arena attracted the people from Brasov as well as tourists who had the opportunity to choose between having a good time in the tent with over 4.000 places or at Bavarian terrace with around 800 places. The Oktoberfest already typical bands, the famous Wirbelwind and – Troupe 6, very appreciated here, made a show. Among the glasses of beer, was organised the competition Miss Oktoberfest. It didn’t matter the weight or the physical aspect of competitors, what mattered was the creativity and spontaneity. The 1st prize, offered by Ciucaş, consisted in a beer charger mounted and supplied in the home of the winner, during one month. The visitors witnessed as well duels with over-dimensional wursts of… sponge, target shootings with huge pretzels and sessions of fishing… beer doses from a lake with cold water. The gormandizers weren’t forgotten either. Besides the varieties of autochthonous and German beer, they enjoyed traditional plates, autochthonous sausages and the famous türingers. For more details, visit www.oktoberfestromania.ro.
VISA EUROPE has launched a new program
With the member banks in Romania, Visa Europe has announced the launching of a new product providing discounts on shopping to the travellers who are using the card during their holidays abroad. The offers included in the program are available for both natural and legal persons who enjoy exclusive offers and discounts up to 20% on hotels, restaurants, stores, City Break products, plane tickets or lease of a car in the European capitals such as London, Vienna etc. The main touristic countries included in the program are Great Britain, Austria, Spain and Germany. The discounts are valid for the 80.000 lodging offers in hotels, in over 3.000 destinations, for plane tickets on any route as well as for the combinations plane-hotel-transfer-insurance. In Europe, there are over 445 million debit, credit and business cards Visa. “We have selected the most popular touristic destinations in Western Europe considering that almost a quarter of all expenses performed with Visa cards on traders in 2011, abroad, were in majority performed in Europe. We are trying to develop further on new similar partnerships” – declared Cătălin Creţu, General Manager for Romania of Visa Europe.
ROWMANIA FEST: ONE PADDLED HARDLY
At the beginning of September, it was organised in Tulcea the second edition of Rowmania Fest – International Festival of Row Boats. It included the International Competition of canoe paddling of 10+1 places – Danube Connection. In parallel, it was also organised the fair of projects of social investments in Danube Delta, followed by a round table focused on two topics – association in rural environment and responsible tourism developed by the movement Rowmania. An important moment was the welcoming of kayak and canoe participants to Danube International Tour, a fleet of over 100 boats. The crews left from Danube sources arriving in Tulcea after a two-month trip. Other events which provided consistency to the manifestation was Ivan Patzaichin Fishing Competition, the culinary show Slow Fish, the film projections and the traditional show offered by local communities, the Rock and Row concerts etc.
