Category: Tourism
UI Professor Says Branding Romania Starts from Within
Posted Thursday, June 04, 2009 by Kirstin Skurka
University of Illinois Advertising Professor Diana Mincyte says that branding a country is more than just Internet advertisements and marketing. Romanian people must first understand who they are as a country, and gain confidence as a nation in order to lure people to come visit.
Professor Mincyte says that is why Italy has been so successful at tourism. Italians are very proud of their land, and claim themselves as the best place to visit. They say they have the best food, the best culture, the some of the most historical sites in the world. That confidence draws people in. Professor Mincyte says branding a country has much to do with culture, and a culture that is proud of itself is the most successful kind.
UI Professor Discusses Branding Romania :
UI Professor Discusses Branding Romania
Capitalism at Work in Bucharest
Posted Wednesday, May 27, 2009 by Bruce Harrison
A couple prepares to open a travel agency in downtown Bucharest. It is yet another sign of people’s faith and hope in a capitalistic economy in this formerly communist nation.
Iliyanan Ivanova and her husband Miximnco Ovidiu don’t speak the same language. She’s Bulgarian and he’s Romanian, so they use English to communicate and work together in the travel industry.
For over a week, they have been working 12 hour days renovating their property on Smardan Street in downtown Bucharest. Ivanova said it’s hard to find space in the city to open a business.
“They are very expensive and valuable properties,” she said.
Under communism travel agencies didn’t develop a tradition like other businesses in Romania. Ivanova said it’s a new business of the last twenty years and it still needs time to improve and develop. This spurs competition among agencies, even the smaller ones. But you can make it in the travel industry in Romania.
“It’s all about experience, politics, connections, and taking an individual approach to the industry,” Ivanova said.
Ivanova and Ovidiu both have experience. They own a a travel agency in Bulgaria and have worked for cruise lines. Admission into the European Union has helped make things easier for the couple as well. Ivanova said that as soon as Romania joined the European community, things started to change in a positive way. In general, growth in infrastructure and investors.
“For me the change is obvious because I’m not a Romanian,” Ivanova said. “Coming and going out of the country frequently and owning a business outside of the country, you really have the best view to see how development takes place.”
The travel agency will be open in a week with continued improvements taking place over the next month. Ivanova and Ovidiu will be working with Romanian and foreign tourists.
Hear a new business owner in Bucharest:
Hear a new business owner in Bucharest
Cluj-Napoca—Illinois Connection
Posted Tuesday, May 26, 2009 by Luke Cleary
Did you know our latest stop in Romania has a sister city in Illinois?
Cluj-Napoca is a sister city to which Illinois city?
Write your comment below, then read more for the answer.
Rockford, Illinois. Cluj, Romania. Cities separated by thousands of miles, but connected by a special diplomatic bond. Sister Cities International is an American organization developed during the Eisenhower Administration. The objective, according to the Sister Cities International website, is to build municipal partnerships between cities in America and cities abroad. Rockford’s travel website outlines some of the qualities the two cities share. Among them, renowned botanical gardens.
Rockford and Cluj formed their bond in 2005.
Other notable sister city relationships in Romania include Bucharest and Atlanta, GA; and Brasov and Cleveland, OH.
Romania’s Castles A Big Attraction
Posted Monday, May 25, 2009 by John D Paul
Peles Castle, located in Sinaia in the region of Translyvania, is often called the “Pearl of the Carpathians.” Romania’s castles attract thousands of visitors every year. UI journalism students were among those touring this castle and the Castle Bran nearby recently
The class of UI journalism students visited two of Romania’s famous public castles Sunday. Peles was built for King Carol I and his wife Queen Elizabeth. The ornate castle features more than 160 rooms.
The so-called Dracula’s castle is near Brasov. The Castle Bran also attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and is among Romania’s most famous tourist destinations.
Castle Bran: The Legend of Dracula
Posted Monday, May 25, 2009 by Kirstin Skurka
He comes out most frequently at night and is often seen around Halloween in America. We are talking about Dracula, and his blood sucking eye teeth. Dracula was the invention of Irish novelist Bram Stoker, but he was based on the Romanian ruler Vlad Tepes who lived miles away in Transylvania. Tour guide Luiza Levarda separates fact from fiction at Castle Bran—the tourist site also known as Dracula’s Castle.
Romanian tour guide Luiza Levarda talks about Castle Bran:
Romanian tour guide Luiza Levarda talks about Castle Bran
Signs of Trouble?
Posted Saturday, May 23, 2009 by Luke Cleary
Why are many of Bucharest’s oldest buildings fitted with circular red signs?
Tell us what you think by posting in the “comment” section below then read the rest of the story.
It’s not decoration. Not an advertisement. The red dot pictured here is a warning. In the event of an earthquake, don’t even think about using this “red dotted” building for shelter. Bucharest is a city that stands to lose a lot in the event of an earthquake. The high population density and slowly deteriorating infrastructure and buildings could mean significant injuries and deaths. Is Bucharest at risk of a seismic catastrophe? The short answer is yes. The city’s already been hit with a magnitude 5 earthquake just this year. Still, one gets a sense of public apathy or indifference to the impending risk of such an earthquake. It’s strange, they’ve seen the devastating effects of a major quake in the past. In 1977 an earthquake rocked Bucharest, destroying hundreds of buildings and killing over a thousand people. Earthquakes have hit other European countries like Italy, where a recent tremor claimed a few hundred lives this Spring. The circular warnings are there to let Romanians and traveling student journalists, like us, know which buildings are at risk of collapse in an earthquake. Like you, we can’t read the signs, but at least we all know what they mean.
No End in Sight
Posted Saturday, May 23, 2009 by Karis Morrall
The historic area of Lipscani in downtown Bucharest is well-known for its little shops, restaurants and night clubs. But now plastic bottles and other trash line the deep trenches in the middle of the streets. Pedestrians walk on make-shift plank “boardwalks” above the mud and rubbish.
Lipscani is the story of renovation gone awry. According to an article in The Diplomat, the city of Bucharest hired a Spanish company, Sedesa, to repair the area in 2008. The project was supposed be finished in June of 2008. But various problems sparked delays in the construction, including an archeological discovery underneath one of the streets. The mayor of the city altered his plans, and decided to build an intricate glass sidewalk above the ruins, complete with lighting. But construction stalled. City officials blamed Sedesa for slow progress, and Sedesa blamed the city government for poor management. Early this year, Bucharest and Sedesa terminated their contract.
Alex Sandu works at the Rembrandt Hotel, which is located near Lipscani Street. He says workers began repairing the streets last fall. However, he says, "Three months ago, [the construction workers] just stopped and everyone vanished." Meanwhile, many of Lipscani’s famous boutiques and other businesses are packing up and leaving the area. We saw many recently-closed shops. It’s easy to see why they leave—the site is dirty and dangerous. (Kirstin fell into a hole last night, and many of us have almost done the same!) It’s a shame, because the area looks like it has such potential. Lipscani was a major marketplace during the Middle Ages, and it has a unique old-world flair. However, until the city figures out what to do about Lipscani, the area remains in limbo. "I don’t know how long it will stay like this," says Dragos Pavel, another worker at the Rembrandt Hotel.
Questionable Bucharest Taxi Drivers
Posted Friday, May 22, 2009 by Karis Morrall
Every time I ride a cab in Romania, I feel like I’m in a Jason Bourne movie. The cars zip down one-way, more than 100 year old streets, and Romanians have exceptionally creative ways of cutting people off. There are no clear traffic signals, and very few actual lanes. Sometimes I feel like it’s just a mash of cars, each trying to move in different directions. According to a Romanian newspaper, The Diplomat, the country has the EU’s highest rate of car accidents.
But I like riding in cabs—I feel like I’m in a high-speed pursuit. It’s exciting, and the drivers are always very nice. However, as Professor Nancy Benson and I discovered, not every Romanian taxi driver is reputable.
Rule number one when driving in a taxi in Romania: make sure the car has a meter. Midway through my ride this morning, I realized that our cab was missing one. I meant to ask the taxi driver about it, but my time was spent trying to keep him awake while he drove. Because I had the front seat, I had to tap his shoulder every time he nodded off at the wheel. I don’t blame him for being tired—he said that he usually works about 16 hours a day.
Sure enough, when we arrived at the Soros Foundation, the cabbie tried to scam us. He scribbled a few numbers on a piece of paper and told us that we owed him 25 lei, which is equivalent to about $8.00. In Chicago, that would be a reasonable amount. But, in Romania, most rides are about 9 lei, or $3.
After several exclamations of “Nu!” from Professor Benson and me, he was willing to barter. “For you ladies, only 20 lei.”
We gave him 10 lei and hopped out of the cab before he could protest.
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