TOURISM IN BUCOVINA

1. TOURISM IN BUCOVINA

2. A little geography • Geographical position - in the north part of Romania, to the North-West of Moldavia. • Neighbors: to the East – Botosani and Iasi Counties; to the South – Neamt County, Harghita County and Mures County; to the West – Maramures County and Bistrita County. To the North are the boundaries with Ukraine. • Surface – 8.553 square km (respectively 3.6% of the country's territory); • Population – 705.730 inhabitants at 1st of July, 2006 • 8 towns, 396 villages. SUCEAVA is the capital of the county (106.508 inhabitants)

3. NATURE Bucovina area has beautiful landscapes, and it is one of the most precious places of Romania, high estimated by the local people, but also by foreigners. Bucovina has an unrivalled beauty. The relief descends from West to East slowly and each level is endowed by nature with beauties. The relief has the characteristics of a mountain region (more than half of the county) being covered by the northern group and the central part of the Oriental Carpathians, charming mountains which close between their ridges picturesque depressions - Dornelor Land, with carbon gas waters and mofettes used for treatment, with beautiful villages having valuable ethnographic resources and developed rural tourism.

4. Preserves and natural monuments • 4 floristic preserves • 9 forest preserves • 5 geological preserves • 3 mixt preserves

5. Palma 12 Apostoli Rarau - Giumalau Rarau - Giumalau Bistrita Aurie Bistrita Aurie Moara Dracului 12 Apostoli

6. NATURAL RESOURCES • 37 mineral water sources • carbon gas waters and mofettes used for treatment • salt resources - In Cacica village is a salt mine that has a depth of about 50 m

7. Life underground - Cacica salt mineSituated 60km away from Suceava, the Cacica salt mine represents an important tourist attraction of Bucovina region. Begun by the order of Empress Maria Theresa, the salt mine was manually dug out and opened in 1791. There are 8200 galleries that were all manually dug out, reinforced with wood and still in a perfect condition today.In the first room, 25 meters deep, was built a chapel. It’s called the Church St. Barbara (Varvara), and was a praying site for all the miners who worked there, and even today service is held. To reach the chapel, you have to go down almost 200 steps.

8. Life underground - Cacica salt mineFurther below, more steps… and another gallery (35 meters deep) that leads to a small salty lake (38 meters deep)Next comes the Ball room, or festivities room (44 meters deep), today tennis and volley course.

9. NATURAL RESOURCES Vatra Dornei, also known as the Pearl of Bucovina, is well known for its natural mineral water resources. The spa’s healing properties that have made it famous across the world include mineral springs, mud and strongly negative ionized air. Tourists come in Vatra Dornei for: treatment ( their cardiovascular affections and rheumatism) to rest practice winter sports …..or just to have a good time. The spectacular landscape also allows for numerous leisure activities – walking, horse-riding, river-rafting

10. ….and the symbol Bucovina “ŞTEFAN CEL MARE” • Ruler of Moldova between 1457 - 1504 • A simbol of the Romanian history • After he won a battle he used to build a monastery/church.

11. Monasteries Voroneţ Monastery– 1488 Color: blue MoldovitaMonastery– 1488 Color: red

12. Culture and life style in villages Large and culturally rich villages are to be found everywhere in Bucovina. Local people created their villages according to their own image and artistic style. Even today, artisans create both modern and historically accurate art. House façades are for the most part frescoed or adorned with wooden or stone-carved ornaments. The entrance to most houses contains a large and ornate gateway. The yards are beautifully manicured with fences, fountains, open-air verandas and the roofed stairways bordered by carved handrails that stretch to the roof. The uniqueness of Bucovina villages makes them “open air postcards” and the ultimate experience for tourists.

13. Culture and life style Bucovina is known for its Folk costumes Customs Wood processing Pottery Egg Painting

15. STRONG POINTS Generals: - the Romanian/Bucovina image also have been improved during the time; some efforts should be made in order to sustain this image. - the number of the foreign tourists follow a positive trend The natural potential: - Unspoiled nature – proper for development of ecological tourism and natural tourism - great, dreamful nature - strong cultural potential Accommodation: -acceptable accommodation services - nice and friendly service, very hospitable people Cultural tourism: - very large tourism offer - culture as well is a great touristic potential, but should be known much more - absolutely great in Bucovina region - very diverse offer, but for individual holiday makers not always easily to reach

16. STRONG POINTS Tourism personnel: - most of the time they are very friendly and polite Gastronomy: - very good, mostly far better then expected - well tasting and typical for the region - good original cuisine - regarded as opulent and good - meals in restaurants by far better than in hotels Tours operators activity: - have been appreciated as good and very good - tours operators are actively involved in relation with external partners - clients are mostly satisfied with organization - their activity becomes better and better Public Service, Frontier: - considered to be good - fast, quick procedure at the border - much better than before, no comparison with the Nineties (in a positive way)

17. OPORTUNITIES - Romania/Bucovina is considered to be a safe destination - there is a minimal legislation - there are specific organizations and funds for protected areas, biodiversity - the govern begun to pay attention to the protected areas - tour operators plan some new theme for Romania: cultural programs, trips, active tourism, mountain bike - most of the tour-operated are interested in info-tours especially in Bucovina area, Maramures, etc, cultural tourism and active tourism Most appreciated things are: hospitality, nature, landscape, mountain routes - credible tourism stakeholders - create a network with pensions for the bike tourism - better promotion outside the borders - better information activities

18. WEAK POINTS Generals: - infrastructure - the season is to short - the foreign tourists consider that some components of the tourism offer may not always be fulfilled - the price-quality-ratio not always in balance The natural potential: - in some areas should be improved the cleaning of the green spaces – garbage problem - the pollution of the water from some tourism areas should be controlled Accommodation: - accommodation not always tidy, bad service, breakfast not always good - rather simple standard, often with “east-charm” - partly without proper care, although simple standard is no problem - partly rather expensive, sometimes bad service, everything takes very long time, music too loud, food too cold - staff not always friendly, helpful - varying hotel standard during round trips - not sufficient Three Star hotels

19. WEAK POINTS Cultural tourism: - better protection of historic monuments (fortified churches and deserted villages) - the cultural monuments sometimes are not proper indicated or illuminated - better promotion of the monuments Tourism personnel: - the quality of the services is not always at high standard - the personnel is not good qualified - the Four Star Hotels do not always have best qualified personnel - the quality of the environment where the services are offered is not so good Gastronomy: - rather too much meat and lack of fresh products - beware of fast food, convenience food, international food - lack of local products juice, beer, wine/replaced with of Fanta, Cola, etc - varying food standard during round trips - partly rather expensive - sometimes bad service (takes very long time, music too loud, food too cold) - food in hotels could be better

20. WEAK POINTS Tours operators activity: - method of working are not very dynamic and creative - communication should be improved Public Service, Frontier: - very slow and bureaucratic - problems when passing with identity card only - bike transport should be improved considerably - sometimes not transparent situations in the activity of the workers from the frontier

21. THREATS - threats from other touristic destination which offer similar products (Transylvania, Bulgaria) - an intensive and extensive development of the tourism that may be destructive for the beauty of the area - Bucovina should keep the authenticity and the specific of the area - tourists skepticism about Romania

22. NAP - Nature Active Parksin Bucovina The idea of this project was generated by the weaknesses identified in Bucovina region, especially related to the lack of active tourism offers in the area • Tourto promote the concept of Nature Fitness Park organized by WBF-GTZ and Bucovina Tourism Association • The international trend with focus on the programs of “active tourism in nature”. • „NAP” consists in a network of walking paths, cycling routes, nordic-walking that are created along the forest roads.

23. NAP cycling walking paths nordic-walking

24. CREATIVE SESSION “Stefan cel Mare” ROAD “Discover Bucovina”