TALEB RIFAI – “Romania is a natural destination!”
“Romania is in the heart of Europe. Things are natural here, you have the feeling that you are in an untouched placed, which you do not find in Europe, where many cities are structured just like museums. The Romanians are natural, when you come here, you feel that you are welcome. All countries have resources, but people are the most important” – is the opinion of Taleb Rifai, general secretary of the World Tourism Organization (WTO). The declaration was made at the International Tourism Conference which took place at the Parliament’s Palace in Bucharest under the title “Identifying the Competitive Advantage of a Tourism Destination”. According to him, Romania was visited in 2012 by 1.6 million foreigners, and the average value of the amount spent on the territory of our country raises to about 780 Euro per person per stay.
The international conference was followed by an Infotrip in which over 50 foreign and Romanian journalists participated, which documented in the Danube Delta, on Prahova Valley (with Peleş and Bran Castles), Alba Iulia, the salt mine in Turda, Sighişoara, Sibiu etc.
JURILOVCA – EDEN prize in 2013
The winner of EDEN contest – “Excellency European Destinations” – became in the year of 2013 the commune of Jurilovca in Tulcea County. According to the selection, it was followed at national level by Gheorghieni – Lacul Roşu (2nd position), Hotarul Frontului de Est (East Side Boundary) (3rd place) respectively Şaru Dornei (4th place). The EDEN logo will be conferred upon all of them, as well as the other destinations in Europe, logo representing a starting point for the promotion of excellence in terms of the destinations in Romania. Less known, the Commune of Jurilovca has a varied tourism offer: from spa tourism (Gura Portiţei), cultural/historical tourism (Argamum Fortress), recreational tourism (routes on the lakes in Razim Sinoe Complex, ice fishing), up to the traditions and customs of an extremely well preserved national minority (Lipova Russians).
EDEN is a competition which is yearly organized at national level by the National Authority for Tourism, in compliance with the selection criteria approved by the European Commission.
TRAVEL MIX – Special prize in Zagreb
The Romanian tourism TV channel – Travel Mix – received the Special Prize of the Jury for the reportage entitled “Zagreb, a City Break”, created by Nelu Gheorghe – image operator and video editor and Mădălina Neagoe. The contest was hosted by the capital city of Croatia, where the 2nd edition of the tourism film Festival entitled “Zagreb – Tourfilm Festival” took place, over the course of 3 days. The event – which is part of the International Committee of the Tourism Film Festivals (a prestigious network of film festivals, established 25 years ago)- reunited 300 tourism films from over 50 countries. TRAVEL MIX has been present on the Romanian market since 2011.
Do not miss the FORTRESS TOURNAMENT
The 4th edition of the Fortress Tournament returns in force in Braşov in the month of August. The knight contests, pricing virtue when it comes to the beautiful ladies in Ţara Bârsei, will take place according to the following program: Bran – August 3rd – 4th – on Inima Reginei Maria (Queen Mary’s Heart) Plateau; Făgăraş – August 10th – 11th at Făgăraşului Fortress, respectively Braşov between August 24th and 25th in Piaţa Sfatului. “This year, we prepared crafting workshops where children will learn how to model ceramics, make traditional dolls or paint on wood and glass. About 60 knights and ladies will dance, fight and interact with the public. The tournaments, the fire shows, presented by Hypnosissn band and the Parade of the Transylvanian Bagpipers will not be absent either” – Anemona Hermeneanu, PR and Communication Manager of the festival reminds us the slogan. Traveller Magazin is a Media Partner of the manifestation.
OTOPENI: Nominalization at Routes Europe Awards
“Henri Coandă” International Airport in Bucharest (AIHCB) has been nominated by the airline experts for the Routes Europe Awards 2013 prizes. These prestigious distinctions in the international aviation recognize excellence in the airline services, according to the most professional and strict criteria applied by the airline companies. The Romanian airport has been selected in the category of the airports having recorded last year between 4 and 20 million passengers, along with the airports in Athens, Dublin, Marseille, Istanbul and Prague, Eleftherios Venizelos airport in Athens being declared the winner. Routes Europe Awards Ceremony attracted in Budapest over 1,000 professionals from the European and international civil aviation.
BRAŞOV: Oktoberfest is in September
The new edition of Oktoberfest in Braşov will take place between September 6th and 15th, over the course of 10 hot days which will be, naturally extinguished with…. beer. The location? “Ion Ţiriac” Sports Arena where the biggest tent ever put up in Romania will be mounted (4,000 places on wooden benches) – specified Christian Macedonschi, chairman of the Association for Tourism Promotion and Development in Braşov. The tourists will be welcomed with artistic traditions and Bavarian culinary specialties, games with prizes, shows held by 6 Band in Braşov, composers of the Oktoberfest hymn, the omnipresent Virbelwind, Eduard Hosu – the little drummer boy, Albachtal Express, Rocky 5 bands etc. Another great novelty! Oktoberfest will be organized this year in Bucharest too. The festival will be hosted by the parking place of Anchor Plaza Mall over the period October 3rd – 6th, 2012 – the organizers informed us. Traveller Magazin is one of the Media Partners of the manifestation.
OUR INTERVIEW
DAVID CONTANT: “We have discovered the 5th season of taste in Romania!”
“Romania has extremely varied and abundant ingredients for gastronomy. They could be exported to the Michelin restaurants anywhere in the world, they could easily find their place in the most demanding restaurants around the world!”
David Contant is one of the most appreciated foreign Chefs operating in Romania. He was born in 1968 in Lyon, the capital city of the French gastronomy. He made his apprenticeship at l’Haricot restaurant in this town, run by his uncle. He has an experience of about 30 years in gastronomy, gained in restaurants ranked between 1 and 3 Michelin stars in countries such as France, Switzerland, Great Britain, Uruguay, Germany etc. The best chef in Romania (2007) and Golden Chef Bucharest (2009) are only two of the distinctions that he obtained in our country. He owns a farm in Conţeşti (Dâmboviţa County), where he develops pioneering concepts, but also commercial activities.
(Fragment from the photographic gastronomic album “David Contant – The 5 Seasons of Taste”, forthcoming at Convexus 2000 Publishing House).
