Romania                                             

The natural tourism resources of Romania - a country situated because of its beauty and diversity, among the best endowed countries as a tourist destination.
The varied tourist potential of Romania, harmoniously combined throughout the country, the favorable climate enabling sports to be practiced all year round, variety and profusion of flora and fauna, unique historical monuments of art and architecture will satisfy within a vast range of programmes and arrangements the highest possible degree of national and international demand.

The tourism infrastructure created in order to render profitable this important aspect of the Romanian economy - the accommodation capacity is increased to approximately 300, 000 beds in the country as a whole, - is now in full swing to reform and reorganize. The hotel network comprising about 170, 000 beds benefitted, especially in the capital, the main towns, in the resorts and spas, by important work to modernize facilities and increase comfort.
The hotels are already connected to the international automatic telephone network and many of them boast colour TV sets in their rooms.
Among the new hotels that opened in 1994 the Sofitel Hotel in Bucharest is the most important, it has a capacity of 203 rooms and suites and it is directly connected with the World Trade Center, a modern complex of commercial agencies and governmental organizations profiled on international trade activities. In the vicinity of the Sofitel hotel, stands the foremost fair and exhibition complex of Romania.
During l995, the private sector experienced remarkable development regarding accommodation facilities, a number of mini hotels and boarding houses were set up. They are located both new buildings and in older, modernized ones, situated in Bucharest as well as other towns in Romania. The Spas, as a result of the capitalization process, have seen a great number of villas modernized. thus become more friendly atmosphere in these villas.
In some of the counties of Romania, which have a special potential for rural tourism, the peasants’ houses selected for tourist accommodation have been subjected to criteria used by other countries with sound traditions in this field. Thus, at Bran, a locality situated in an extremely picturesque area, in the vicinity stands the famous castle of the same name, making it one of the places of greatest interest for those on the Dracula tours, a number of boarding houses and Farms are ready to welcome tourists from Romania and abroad. The foreign tourists will find in this type of accommodation the chance to come into a direct contact with the traditions of the Romanian people as well as with the hospitality and genuine cuisine of each zone of the country.
In order to support and encourage the agrotourism, new regulations have been recently adopted concerning the exemption from taxation and the credit allotments on special terms for the farmers who make investments to fit up holiday houses.
The “National Association of Rural, Ecological and Cultural Tourism in Romania” (ANTREC) has already started identifying and rendering the rural potential profitable, for the professional training of those working in this . field, for the promotion of this tourist product in Romania and abroad.

Regarding restaurants, bars, coffee-shops, etc, important changes have been noticed as a result of the increase and diversifying effect of private capital. In Bucharest and in other major towns as well as in the areas of tourist interest, new trading networks specialized in pastries, pizza, fast-food and so on, offer fast, quality services. The restaurants specialized in traditional Romanian and international foods (Chinese, Italian, Arab etc) are also quickly developing.
The supply of diversional and recreational facilities is developing according to the demands of national and international tourism: new bars, night-clubs, casinos, discoteques have all been opened. It is worth mentioning the expanding of casinos equipped with modern infrastructure located in large towns or in localities of tourist interest. Among the most important recently set up are: RomanianAustrian Casino, Berlin-Bucuresti, Victoria, Star Lido in Bucharest, Astoria in Arad, Melody in Cluj-Napoca, Felix casino at Felix, Casino at Timisoara. The fierce individuality of the people of the Maramures mountain valleys in the north west earned them the nickname of the "wolf people" in the Middle Ages. They had been an independent State under Decebalus in the first century AD and fought against invasion after invasion to preserve their customs and folklore. They even successfully resisted the communist collectivisation of farms. Few other parts of Europe have preserved so distinctive a rural culture.