Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
of Tourism itself (originally established in 1971).
In 1990, the Ministry was combined with the
Ministry of Commerce. A separate tourism min-
istry was re-established in November 1992, but
was replaced during a governmental reorgani-
zation in 1998 by a National Authority for
Tourism. A tourism ministry was re-established
in November 2000 only to be combined with
the Ministry of Transport and Construction in
2003. Each administrative reorganization has
been accompanied by changes in personnel and
leadership so that there has been little consis-
tency or continuity in the development and
implementation
offer for mass tourism (Fig. 20.1). It was not until
after 2000 that progress was made in pushing
forward the privatization of the tourism accom-
modation sector: by 2004, 81.3% of tourist
accommodation was in majority private owner-
ship (INS, 2005a). However, by this time Romania
had largely lost its competitive position as a
destination, particularly in comparison with
neighbouring Bulgaria (where, due to much
earlier tourism privatization, Black Sea resorts
have successfully retained their position as
destinations for Western tour operators).
While the internal situation (particularly the
dilatory pace of economic reform) accounts
in large part for the under-performance of
Romanian tourism since 1989, external factors
(over which Romania has less control) are of
equal importance. Perhaps the most important
is Romania's image among Western tourists as a
potential destination (Light and Dumbr
b
veanu,
1999). Romania's reputation as a destination
had deteriorated during the 1980s so that the
country entered the post-socialist period from
an already disadvantaged position. Subsequent
events further tarnished Romania's international
image. These included violent civil unrest in
Bucharest in the 1990s; much-publicized ethnic
tension between Romanians and Hungarians in
Transylvania; and the rise of extreme nationalist
political formations (some of which formed part
of a coalition government between 1992 and
1995, causing considerable concern in the West
about Romania's commitment to minority
rights). The presence of a neo-communist élite
(which was frequently linked with high-level
corruption) in government between 1990 and
1996 also raised doubts regarding the extent to
which real change had taken place in Romania.
However, in the Western popular imagina-
tion perhaps one issue - orphans - has domi-
nated the image of Romania. In the early 1990s
the state of Romania's under-funded orphan-
ages was widely reported in the Western mass
media and the West acted with incredulity and
horror. Many Westerners subsequently arrived
in Romania to assist the Romanians who were
represented as being unable or unwilling to deal
with the problem themselves and who were in
need of Western compassion and expertise
(Light, 2001). In the process, Romania came to
be viewed by the West as somewhere marginal
and not 'fully' European. In fact, this was just
of
tourism
policy
and
little
long-term tourism planning.
Perhaps the most significant problem that
has faced the tourism sector has been continual
delays with the privatization of the accommo-
dation sector (see Dumbr
b
veanu, 2001). These
delays have meant that much of Romania's
tourist accommodation has deteriorated in
quality (due both to neglect in the later socialist
era and the lack of investment after 1989).
Although tourism privatization was launched in
1993, only 15% of hotels were in private owner-
ship by 1997 (CNS, 1998). Some hotels were
successfully privatized through management/
employee buyouts, while others (particularly in
larger cities) were purchased by international
hotel chains. However, there were many others
(particularly those in need of considerable refur-
bishment) that were not regarded as attractive
prospects by either Romanians (during the
1995 Mass Privatisation Programme) or by
foreign investors. In addition, the state's privati-
zation agency pursued a policy of privatizing
hotels (particularly those at the Black Sea) as
part of large complexes (sometimes comprising
several hotels, along with restaurants and other
associated facilities) rather than individually, but
such an offer failed to attract the interest of
Western investors or tour operators.
The repeated delays in privatization of the
tourist accommodation sector has meant that
many hotels have experienced sustained under-
investment and are unable to offer services
which meet the expectations of Western tourists.
Moreover, the persistence of so many hotels in
state ownership hindered the development of a
commercially orientated and customer-centred
style of management. The situation was most
acute at the Black Sea coast, Romania's major
