Piatra Neamt, a symbol of Romaniaaa‚¬a„¢s tourism potential

The city of Piatra Neamt in the region of Moldova was officially declared a tourist resort in May 2010. In reality, Piatra Neamt continues to be perceived as a transit point for other destinations in Moldova like Iasi and Suceava, a state of affairs the local authorities admit and plan to change. Business Review takes this north-eastern city as a case study that shows the real situation around the country in terms of Romania’s tourism potential.

Simona Bazavan

Piatra Neamt and its surroundings are brimming with tourism potential. Natural parks, monasteries and hermitages, medieval fortresses, traditional villages, an increasing number of local festivals and events – the basic ingredients that should make Piatra Neamt a tourist destination in its own right are all there, but so far this has failed to happen. The fault lies both with the authorities and private operators, creating a vicious circle that is common to many other regions in Romania too.

So where to begin when there is so much to do? Local authorities have invested in recent years in refurbishing some of the existing tourist infrastructure and sights such as the Neamt Fortress, which underwent a EUR 2.8 million reconstruction process with about EUR 2.5 million coming from European funds. Similar refurbishment projects are underway and new ones, such as a cable-car that connects the center of the city with the Cozla Mountain, have been built from scratch. Further investments in infrastructure and promoting the county are on the agenda.

But it is easier said than done when the government’s austerity measures have taken their toll on the available resources, especially on the number of employees necessary to properly run the tourist attractions. Although well aware that adding a touch of entertainment is necessary to bring sights such as the medieval Neamt Fortress to life and thus attract more visitors, the authorities struggle to meet the basic requirements with only four employees. The city’s tourist information center also lacks personnel and is open only during the summer months. However, all this could be a good opportunity for PPPs with private companies running the sights, says local MP Mihaela Stoica, but so far this too has failed to happen.

Going beyond the authorities’ involvement, good cooperation with private operators is vital. “Without private investments, the state alone will not be able to support this region,” said Stefan Lungu, personal adviser to the minister of regional development and tourism, during a round-table on tourism in Neamt county. Also, promoting the county and the city of Piatra Neamt should not be the authorities’ job alone.

“I think that in addition to self-promotion, it is very important that every tour operator and every pension in the area should also promote local attractions. It is quite clear that tourists who come here want to enjoy more than the comfort of the pension where they stay and this will help us keep them here for longer,” said Bogdan Puscasu, city manager of Piatra Neamt. Lack of know-how and proper training, reluctance to work with local travel agencies to promote their pensions, self-sufficiency and in many cases the illegal status of the business all indicate that the local private tourism industry has a lot of room for improvement in the years to come.

The picture in Piatra Neamt is pretty much a blueprint for the current state of the entire Romanian tourism industry – a story of underachievement. Nevertheless the first steps are being taken towards improvement and the authorities seem to have understood that good communication between them and private operators is crucial. This was one of the conclusions of a round table organized by local MP Mihaela Stoica last week on tourism opportunities in Neamt county. Chances are that as experience kicks in and lessons are learned by both sides the hard way – a fact well illustrated by the poor results registered so far – progress will come more smoothly from now on.

Places to go, things to do in Piatra Neamt

The need for proper infrastructure is nowhere more obvious than in getting to Piatra Neamt in the first place. Although only 350 km from Bucharest, the drive takes about five hours and this is not likely to change anytime soon, authorities say. Other options are traveling by plane to the nearest airport in Bacau or by intercity train. As for getting around there are rent-a-car services in the city.

Three hotels are available to choose from in Piatra Neamt, none with more than three stars and one currently undergoing renovation. But if one really wants to get a taste of local hospitality and flavors a better choice is to go for one of the pensions in the city or the surrounding villages. These are also the best option for indulging in local Moldavian cuisine. Turning away from the ever present communist blocks of flats, the city’s medieval origins are nowhere more obvious than in the central square with its Royal Court (Curtea Domneasca), which is also currently undergoing a large-scale refurbishing process. Just nearby is the Cucuteni Museum, home to the most important collection of Cucuteni culture artifacts, which date back to between circa 5500 BC and 2750 BC.

Outside the city, the restored Neamt Fortress, which will host a medieval festival this summer in July, is a must-see, as is the memorial house of Romanian writer Ion Creanga.

And this is to name but a few of the places to see. If you want a break from capital living in Bucharest and decide to give Piatra Neamt a shot, you will not be disappointed by the stunning beauty of the place and the hospitality of the local people, regardless of the state of the tourist infrastructure.

simona.bazavan@business-review.ro

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