Tourism in Romania

Tourism in Romania is focused on the country's natural landscapes and its history, and forms a major component of the economy of Romania. The number of tourists increased from 4.8 million in 2002 to 8.9 million in 2008, while tourism related revenues grew from $400 million in 2002 to $607 million in 2004. As such tourism is becoming an increasingly important source for Romania's gross domestic product (GDP). Domestic and international tourism in Romania attracted €880 million overall investments in 2005 and generated about 4% of the country's GDP, supporting 0.8 million jobs - the second largest component in the services sector after commerce. Two-thirds of all major trade fairs in Central Europe are held in Romania,  each year; attracting 2 to 3 million business travelers, about 20% of whom are foreigners. The four most important international trade fairs take place in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iaşi  and Timişoara.

Activities

Camping and hiking in the Carpathian MountainsSkiing in the mountain resorts on the Prahova Valley: Sinaia,

Bușteni, Predeal, Poiana Brașov, Azuga, ArieșeniBlack Sea resorts: Mamaia, Costinești, Eforie, Vama VecheMedieval churches and monasteries of Moldavia and BukovinaDanube Delta, the best preserved delta of EuropeSighișoara town and medieval festivalMedieval castles and fortified churches of TransylvaniaFolklore and traditions of MaramureșRural tourismSpas and health resorts: Băile Herculane, Băile Felix, Sovata

FestivalsGeorge Enescu FestivalPLAI Festival, in TimisoaraGarana Jazz Festival, in Poiana Lupului, Caras-SeverinFreedom Jazz Festival, in Vama VecheTransilvania International Film FestivalBalKaniK Festival, in BucharestPeninsula / Félsziget Festival in Târgu Mureş -

Romania's biggest music festivalSibiu Jazz Festival, in SibiuGolden Stag Festival, in BrașovStufstock rock music festival, in Vama VecheCallatis Festival, in Mangalia

Industrial TourismIndustrial tourism, as a niche of tourism in

Romania and as a solution to the restructuring and disappearance of former large industrial sites (mining, metallurgy, heavy industry), takes on interest in the country still slowly, despite the country's join to the European Union in 2007. Even if presently the country is confronted with a long and difficult economic transition, it has a rich industrial and scientific history with many of the world's priorities and still has surviving authentic traditional crafts and rural communities

Primary attractions

the national and regional technical and ethnographic museums: the Dimitrie Leonida National Technical Museum and the Aviation Museum in Bucharest, the mining museums in Brad, Petrosani, Rosia Montana, a technical museum in Iasi, the tram museum in Timisoara, the Oil Museum in Ploiesti, the astronomic observatories in Bucharest and Bacau, the village museums from Bucharest, Pitesti, Sibiu, Cluj, Timisoara, Valcea, Suceava;

the railway tourism on the recently rehabilitated narrow gauges from Brad, Abrud, Covasna, Moldovita, Agnita, Vaser, the Oravita - Anina mountain railway opened in 1864;

the power plant museums from Cernavoda (nuclear), Iron Gates (hydro, on the Danube, 2200 MW, the biggest in European Union), Sadu (hydro, built in 1896), Sinaia (hydro, built in 1899), Grebla - Resita (hydro, built in 1904);

factory tours: exception making some food (chocolate, soft drinks, yoghurt) factories which provide visits for school children, there are no important companies (car,manufacturing, porcelain, textile, high technology, etc.) to promote such tourist visits. However, some reference enterprises may accept visits at special requests (the Resita Works, metallurgy, heavy machinery, founded in 1771, having a very interesting museum too, The Ruschita Marble Exploitation). A remarkable visit program, started in October 2013, offers the Timisoreana brewery, a factory founded in 1718, with very valuable heritage;

industrial heritage: even if valuable, a large majority of the monuments are still abandoned by their owners. However, a few exceptions could be mentioned;

motorsports: despite the missing of an international standard infrastructure like raceways, there are national federations organizing events for many categories and racing schools offering participatory courses;

the salt mines from: Turda, Praid, Cacica, Slanic Prahova, Ocnele Mari, Ocna Sibiului (salt lakes) are equally famous for their tourism interest (museums, underground entertainment parks) as well as therapeutic exploitation (respiratory diseases)