Romania is known, among other things, because of its
\nvast and virgin forests, because of the areas where tradition is still unspoiled
\nand where we find craftsmen who still work handicraft objects using techniques
\nand following patterns that have been handed down to them from one generation
\nto the next. In all this landscape there are associations that have been
\nstriving to preserve the natural values and provide education focusing on responsible
\ntourism. Today we will find out what exactly eco-tourism entails. Our guide is
\nadvocacy expert and Greener Association coordinator, Loredana Pana.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Loredana Pana: <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
It entails the activities we can do when we are
\non holiday, yet we do such activities with a significantly less strong impact
\non the environment we visit, Tourism, as a rule, can do a lot of damage to the
\nvisited places. The great inflow of tourists, the flight, everything we consume
\nwhile on holiday, all that takes its toll on the tourist destinations. When we
\nintend to do eco-tourism or slow tourism, as it is known, we visit certain
\nareas, bearing in mind the impact we can have on nature. For instance, we do not
\nuse motorized vehicles when on holiday or we spend as much time as we can in
\nthe same area and eat the local produce and not those brought from afar, as the
\nlatter have a strong carbon imprint. Practically, we need to think as much as
\nwe can about the impact we have in a given community and what we live behind
\nus. The eco-routes are ecotourism itineraries we can take by foot, by bicycle,
\nby water, using a kayak, on horseback, so it’s about non-motorized means of
\ntransport. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Luckily, in Romania, quite a few of the areas around the
\ncountry are not very developed, so they somehow are in a natural condition
\nwhich is closer to eco-tourism. Notwithstanding, according to Greener
\nAssociation’s Loredana Pana, ecotourism should work according to a sound legal
\nframework. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Loredana Pana:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, I don’t think there is a
\ntendency or an encouraging trend at legislative and national level to support
\nsuch eco-tourism destinations and I think we have the opportunity to do it
\nsince we’re still at the beginning, yet such destinations should be promoted
\nmore often. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ecotourism Destination is a concept that has
\nbeen developed since 2012 by the Central Public Tourism Authority, in
\npartnership with nationwide representative institutions and organizations. At
\nthat time, Romania was Europe’s first country to have launched such a
\nrecognition system of the ecotourism destinations. As we speak, there are seven
\nofficially recognized eco-tourism destinations. However, advocacy expert and Greener
\nAssociation coordinator, Loredana Pana, invites us to explore an area which, even
\nthough it has not been officially recognized as such, can be the perfect
\ndestination for those who want to do green tourism.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Loredana Pana :<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I will
\nrecommend, right now, the areas along the river Danube. We have many projects
\ninvolving river Danube and the Danube Delta. The Danube Delta is an
\nextraordinarily beautiful area it is a UNESCO world heritage site, it is unique
\naround the world, thanks to the landscape the Danube forms as it flows into the
\nBlack Sea. We still have villages that are not touristic. I should like to
\nrecommend to your listeners to take a couple of days off and have boat rides,
\nslowly, with as small boats as possible, and spend as much time as they can in
\nthose villages of the Danube Delta, being in direct contact with the local
\ncommunity. I don’t recommend that we go to a resort, which is somehow separated
\nfrom the entire local community. The Danube Delta is a unique example from the
\nviewpoint of multiculturality. There are over 12 ethnic groups living in the
\nDanube Delta and Dobrogea and they are a good example of good practice as they
\nhave preserved their traditions and lived together for such a long time.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Greener Association has this week launched the
\nDanube Eco-route.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Loredana Pana :<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This is actually an idea we are going to
\ncontinue to work on. It’s a 44-kilometre-long route on land and water
\naround the city of Giurgiu. The route includes the city of Giurgiu and other
\nfour communes, Slobozia, Oinacu, Prundu and Gostinu. These 44 kilometres can be
\ncovered on bicycle, on foot or on horseback. It is important that we should not
\ngo there by cars or other motorized vehicles but enjoy the tranquility of
\nnature and the fresh air. We have proposed this eco-route because we need green
\nareas to use for entertainment and our psychological welfare, so to say. It is
\nat one hour distance from Bucharest, a marvelous area the Danube creates in
\nthis region. In the south, for instance, there are no entertainment facilities
\non the Danube, like we have in the Delta, or where the Danube enters Romania,
\nfor instance.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
For those who want more centralized information
\nconcerning the access to this route, the Greener Association has a project in
\nplace.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Loredana Pana: <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
By the end of the year we want to
\ncreate a virtual map with this Danube eco-route as it is important for people
\nto have all the information they need, how to get access, how good the road is,
\nif they can bring their children along etc. And we want to make that map
\npublic. I invite you to follow us at maimultverde.ro and on our social
\nnetworks. We are going to post all the information than we can glean by the end
\nof the year.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Loredana Pan\u0103, expert advocacy and project coordinator
\nwith the Greener Association, has also met an increasing number of foreign
\ntourists who have appreciated the lack of human intervention in these wild
\nareas.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Loredana Pana: <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Trekking routes through the mountain
\nwilderness have been much appreciated. Transylvania with all that it has to
\noffer is also very appreciated. Bucharest has become a travel destination for
\ncity breaks. And from the viewpoint of the environment and ecology, we have
\nbeen running a new programme in Bucharest since last year. It is called
\n‘Outdoor’ and through it we are trying to promote the city’s less-known green
\nareas to its citizens. There are also wild green areas, where people don’t have
\naccess at present, such as the lakes on the Colentina river. Back in the 60s,
\nthere were lots and lots of swimming pools there in what was dubbed as ‘the
\nseaside of Bucharest’. Not anymore nowadays, you know. Bucharest can also
\nbecome an eco-tourist attraction for Europe although we are quite far from this
\nobjective at the moment and there is no strategy to bring us to that
\ndirection<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
However, there is an increasing tendency to come back
\nto nature in the Romanian tourism and from this point of view the offer is very
\ndiversified. (EN & bill) <\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A look at the latest in Romania’s Eco-tourism<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":151356,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43423],"tags":[28915,44314,36289,44219,44313],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-151355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travellers-guide","tag-bucharest","tag-colentina","tag-delta","tag-ecotourism","tag-the-danube"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n