Latest Trends on Engineering Mechanics, Structures, Engineering Geology Strategies regarding development of Romanian mountain tourism and sport - actuality and perspectives Gica Pehoiu mountain resorts. Within these multiple there is operating Abstract — Alpine tourism in Romania benefits of very good modes by cable, such as lifts, gondolas, chairlifts and cable developmental conditions, thanks to the potential offered by the three cars with a capacity of about 35,000 people per hour. Carpathian sectors, each with its own specific features and Fitting many ski areas is not efficient enough to ensure landscapes. The specific alpine climate, through its meteorological parameters, sufficient natural snow for sports season for about 3-4 months offers the possibility to practice tourism throughout the year. The annually. Artificial snow is increasingly used, where water presence of the layer of snow, of the atmospheric calm from the resources are not sufficient. However, climate warming in depressional areas and along the valleys, the ozoned air, the high recent winters has resulted in poor snowfalls and even artificial number of the sunny days are beneficial for the tourist activities in snow production, which was difficult in many mountain areas. the alpine area. Of the total number of stations, only 7 have some adequate Tourism development in this region must be considered a priority facilities for de practice of the international tourism. in order to re-launch the Romanian tourism both nationally and world-wide. At the same time, the strategy of development for Compared with other reference countries regarding the tourism tourism starts from the idea of the development of the alpine tourism (Austria, France, Germany, etc.), one can say that Romania’s on small areas, adapted to the local specific characteristics and taking current ski area is several hundred times lower than in those into account the new conception of economic regionalization in countries, for example 120 times lower than the Germany’s or today’s context. almost 510 lower than the one of France. It is represented in 20 massifs (from a total of 72) and in 16 — Keywords alpine tourism, Carpathians, natural potential, mountainous counties (from totally 27). Most of the ski developmental strategies, winter sports. territory is arranged in an area concentrated base belonging to the counties of Prahova, Braşov, DâmboviŃa (63.9% of the I. INTRODUCTION total). OURISM, at national level, is in the current period, one of In this area, Sinaia station is the largest space that offers the areas that can ensure a profitable and sustainable T for guests numerous seasonal sports opportunities. In this economic development at regional and national level. regard, this tourist town has special arrangements, for winter Potential natural and anthropogenic available in Romania need sports: 12 ski slopes of different difficulty (Table 1), track to be optimally exploited, provided to promote and develop some investment programs able to attract large numbers of bob, sledding slopes, lifts with diverse plant (Table 2), a ski tourists. school and one for snowboarding, equipment rental centers In Romania, mountain tourism has very good conditions for and sports materials, which operates in the hotels named development due to the potential of the three sectors of the „Sinaia”, „New Montana”, „Alpin”, „Palas”, „Holliday Inn”, Carpathians (Eastern, Southern and Western). As the country’s etc. main tourist region, Romanian Carpathians has a diverse Existing ski area is shared between the two slopes of the landscape, a complex of tourist resources with various Mount Vârful cu Dor (2030 m) - west side, which is equipped possibilities for the phenomenon of travel (can be advanced with one chairlift and two ski lifts, the area being a part of about 14 modular forms of tourism and recreation, including Sinaia that receive the largest number of skiers; regularity and hiking, climbing and hunting and sport fishing, spa cure, scopes of the slopes skiing widely uses either a primary or a mountain biking, etc.), but the most important component of secondary route; eastern slope, which dominates the same mountain tourism is the winter sports, skiing and between them resort, stretches along the route followed by cable car. it is a high natural potential for development. In the ski area, dedicated to this sport slopes have a total Currently in Romania there are approx. 27 ski areas length of 11,500 m, representing 14.8% of the mountain offer, approved by about 80 runs allowed, which are found in 30 with a capacity of 7000 persons per hour and increasing degrees of difficulty. There exists some slopes with a good technical capacity, like Carp, Papagal, Turistica, Pârtia 1500, F. A. Author is with “Valahia” University of Târgovişte, DâmboviŃa their designed being for advanced skiers, but there, as shown County, Romania (phone: 0040-245-206105; fax: 0040-206279; e-mail: in Table 1, runs for beginners and average skiers trained, as [email protected]). ISSN: 1792-4294 539 ISBN: 978-960-474-203-5 Latest Trends on Engineering Mechanics, Structures, Engineering Geology Poiana Florilor, Piramida, Vânturiş and Dorului. For tourists monitors and skills. In countries with a predominantly winter who practice ski-run version it is recommended slope on the tourism developed, these schools and the monitor are much Bucegi plateau, with a length of 8,000 m. Sinaia, among many (France and Switzerland - over 200, Austria - over 400). others, is the host of the Romanian Ski Federation, Bob Sledge Depending on the characteristics of relief and other and Biathlon, traditional competitions organized by this forum components of the framework of mountain, mountainous taking place on a specially arranged slope in the west of town, regions were ranked and divided into four groups of on the road leading up to „Alpin” Hotel - Cota 1400. importance; in the group I is included those with the potentially very valuable, having favorable geographical TABLE 1. SINAIA - CHARACTERISTICS locations and accessibilities, but also multiple opportunities for OF THE SKI AREA tourism valorization. Slope’s name Difficulty Length Level of Limits Also, the large number of resorts which are located in degree (m) difference mountain area is the result of tradition and experience in this (m) A. Advanced field and a basis for regional tourism development planning. It Carp difficult 2500 600 Vf. Furnica - Cota 1400 is to be noted that the mountain tourist resort are not Turistica average 2800 440 Cota 1400 - Sinaia depending only on the practice of winter sports but for many Papagal average 450 150 Tarle - Lift of these occur the balneary function, because of the valuable Pârtia 1500 average 450 125 Cota 1500 - Cota 2000 mineral resources. B. Începători Vânturiş easy 2350 560 Vârful cu Dor - Cota 1400 A territorial analysis of these resorts in Romania’s Poiana Florilor easy 250 50 Vf. cu Dor - „Vf. cu Dor” Carpathians reveals a great dispersion in the territory. Piramida easy 450 100 Vf. cu Dor - Chalet „Vf. cu Concentration may still see some areas or some massifs such Dorului easy 600 150 Dor” as (Fig. 1): FaŃa Dorului easy 1180 210 Vf. cu Dor - Chalet „Valea Dorului” 1. Prahova Valley - łara Bârsei, with some stations like Vf. Furnica - Valea Sinaia, Buşteni, Azuga, Predeal, Pârâul Rece, Poiana Braşov, Dorului area where tourism has benefited, especially the last time, the C. Sledgingş biggest financial investments; Drumul Vechi - easy 3500 450 Sinaia - „Alpin” Hotel Cota 1300 2. Rucăr - Bran territory, where it was developed especially D. Bob track rural tourism; Furnica - Sinaia difficult 1500 350 Vf. cu Dor - Valea Dorului 3. Făgăraş Mountains - Argeş Valley, especially zones as E. Bob and Sâmbăta, Bâlea, Cumpăna; sledge difficult 1500 134 „Alpin” Hotel - Cota 1400 „Alpin” Hotel - Cota 1400 TABLE 2. CABLE TRANSPORT INSTALLATIONS Level Time No. Facility and Length Capacity difference duration crt. route (m) (persons/hour) 6 7 (m) (min.) Cable-car 1. Sinaia - Cota 2330 590 7 300 1400 4 3 2 1 Cable-car Cota 2. 1400 - Cota 1945 600 6 270 5 2000 Chairlift Valea 3. Dorului - 980 180 7 700 Furnica Ski lift Valea 4. Dorului - 455 150 3 350 Fig. 1. Romanian mountain tourism main focus areas Scândurar 4. Lotru - Parâng Mountains, with stations like Voineasa, The technical equipment of Romanian mountain resorts as a Vidra, Obârşia Lotrului, Lunca, Parâng area one with an whole contains over 60 cableways - cable cars, chairlifts and upward development, since receiving a rich and diverse ski lifts - totaling 65 km in length (nearly 3,700 from tourism potential; cableways in Austria, over 3,030 in France, 1,534 in 5. Banatului - Semenic Mountains, where winter sports Switzerland, etc.), and about 80 tracks arranged (9,500 km in offers the longest season - over 210 days/year - and where to Austria and 2,500 in France). find reference stations in the direction of flows of tourists: Another important element that highlights the quality of Semenic, Văliug, Crivaia, Trei Ape, Secu etc.; offers for winter sports in the mountain area of Romania is the 6. Bihorului - Vlădeasa Mountains, with stations as Stâna de existence of ski schools, being equipped with qualified ISSN: 1792-4294 540 ISBN: 978-960-474-203-5 Latest Trends on Engineering Mechanics, Structures, Engineering Geology Vale, Fântânele, Arieşeni, Băişoara; compared to those of 2000, ie 1/3 of the 756,000 registered in 7. Giurgeu and Ciuc Depressions, and mountain massifs in the second year mentioned (Fig. 4). their vicinity, where mineral resources have led to the development of numerous balneary profiles like spa, among 1000 which are noted Băile Tuşnad, Borsec, Covasna, Balvanyos 900 800 etc. 700 600 II. INDICATORS REGARDING TOURISTIC ACTIVITY 500 400 Tourist accommodation capacity and tourist activity in the 300 mountain area recorded during the years 2000-2007, an 200 upward trend (Fig.