Record of tourists in the mountains: over 185,000 accesses to cable transport and 56,000 registered cars

Over 185,000 accesses accesses to cable transport stations (cable cars, gondola lifts, chair lifts, ski lifts etc.) and 56,000 cars were registered in the main mountain tourism resorts and localities in Romania last weekend (17-19 February), according to data provided to the Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism (MDRT) by local public authorities. It was the most crowded weekend  registered in the resorts this year, since the end of the winter holidays, being followed by the weekends 10-12 February (almost 161,000 accesses) and 27-29 January (approximately 160,000 accesses).

The ranking of the most crowded mountain tourism resorts and localities (in terms of the number of accesses to cable transport stations) is headed by Poiana Brasov (almost 86,600 accesses to cable transport stations and around 50,000 cars registered), Predeal (approximately 28,500 accesses and 1,200 cars) and Straja (over 23,100 accesses and almost 1,100 cars). The ranking continues with Borsec (about 16,400 accesses and 650 cars), Nucet (over 12,100 of accesses and approximately 800 cars), Parang (around 9,600 accesses and 250 cars), Azuga (approximately 3,800 accesses and 400 cars), Malini (around 2350 accesses and 950 cars), Sugas-Bai (over 1,400 accesses and almost 350 cars) and Rânca (approximately 1,400 accesses and 350 cars).

During the recent years, the Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism has carried out investments of approximately 500 million lei in the development of tourism and sports infrastructure in the Romanian mountain resorts. Only during the last two years 13 new slopes were built, and about 15 more were extended and rearranged. Similarly, 9 new cable transport installations (gondola lifts, chair lifts etc.) and 22 artificial snowmaking systems were built.

Among the investments carried out by the MRDT in mountain resorts are those necessary for the organisation of the 2013 Winter Edition of the European Youth Olympic Festival (FOTE) in Romania, which will be held on Prahova Valley in February 2013. Among these investments there are the expansion of the skiable domains on the Prahova Valley by over 40 kilometres of new slopes, the building of an Olympic ski jumping trampoline and annexes (cable transport installations, stands, parking lots, etc.), the planning of two biathlon lanes with permanent winter-summer use, the construction of three new cable transport installations, of two new skating rinks, the provision of artificial snowmaking installations for all the slopes in the area and the building of a water storage basin for artificial snowmaking.