Romantic Travel, touroperator established in 1995, as Bravo Group’s travel agency, begun its activity directed to international incoming tourism, with a registered capital 20.000.000 lei and 4 employees.
 We kept the concept of promoting a special (unique) tourist product to individualize the young generation on the traditional market of incoming Romanian agencies.
Romania is not a destination requested by the foreign tourists, and for that we chose an attractive product of reference for this destination – Dracula, a myth strongly mediated in the world and at the same time a good pretext to invite the tourists to know our country.
As the most of the tourists interested in this legend were looking for adventure, our Dracula tours – a real adventure of spirit - were conceived in co-operation with the Society Transilvana Dracula. Formulated on 3 difficulty different degrees, the tours were original illustrated on 4 shows, which request the tourist’s active participations.
In this way, through a new product, exclusive on the market and conceived like an active show, we succeeded in drawing the attention of great international tour-operators that have published in booklets and brochures our Dracula tours.
The firm offer was diversified with new products: educational tours, ecological, special interest (sports, air, trains, epoch, wines), Black Sea and The Carpathian holidays, in traditional Romanians farms (household) adapted to each tourist market.
Unfortunately, because of the diminution of foreign tourist flux to this destination in 1995-1998, determined by the drawback of national promotion capital and weak understructure, hotels, restaurants, most with government capital, it wasn’t register the financials results expected. It was proved that our plentiful concept tours and our capital invested in development of understructure shows and in the promotion of tours on the foreign markets wasn’t enough. The report quality-price unfavorable to our destination in that period prevailed among potential tourists.
The major benefit of this effort supported in promoting these tours was, finally, the individualization of the touroperator Romantic Travel on international tourism market.
At the same time the experience accumulated in promoting theses tours determined us to initiate a concept based on Bram Stocker’s novel – The Club Count Dracula.
Thus, a boyard house built in 1906 not far from the ruins of Princely Court became after 2 years of restoration work, the today’s Count Dracula Club, administrated by sister company Romantic Hotels.
Every detail has been considered while decorating the different rooms of the club : folklore ritual masks, Corund ceramics, hand sewed table linen in the Transylvanian saloon, weapons from XV-th century, German engravings, antiquity aged furniture in the Medieval saloon, game trophies from Borgo Pass, massive wooden tables in the Hunters ‘ saloon, crates with native soil in the Chapel.
It is Count Dracula himself, performed by the actor Petre Moraru, that reveals this entire universe and reminding to the guests: “Enter freely and of your own will! “
In the following period of time two departments are developing within the company: the outgoing section in charge with excursion and tourist arrangements abroad for Romanian tourists and respective the sport-youth section designing and running educational programs for pupils and students and organizing excursions to sport international events.
Taking into consideration the massive competition existing on the local market between the outgoing specialized companies and considering the close interwar cultural valences between the two people and the worldwide tourism leadership position of France, Romantic Travel is promoting this destination exclusively.
Thus, the first contracts are concluded with French tourist service suppliers that were initially reserved toward the Romanian market potential, mostly due to visa granting formalities.
After a period of intense promoting of French tourist products, large French chains of hotels found in Romantic Travel a valid partner and grant it full commercial representation ability for Romania. Basing the credit granted by French suppliers and the good relationship with French Consulate built on confidence and reliability, Romantic Travel created its own distribution network for its products all over the country. |
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Guide in Romania - Eduard Popescu
