The Environment Ministry has put up for public consultation a program via which it aims to finance projects for developing ecotourism in Romania.

The program, called ECO-Tourism, is a first for Romania, and it will represent a source of funding for the arrangement and promotion of ecotourism destinations. The budget for this program amounts to RON 20 million (some EUR 4.45 million), and the maximum funding for one project can’t go over RON 900,000 (EUR 200,000).

“Romania has a huge ecotourism potential: 25% of our territory is protected natural area. However, this kind of tourist destinations are either unknown or difficult to reach due to the lack of minimum access infrastructure,” said environment minister Cristiana Pasca Palmer.

The program can finance the creation of access infrastructure such as thematic paths, small bridges for cycling, horseback riding, hiking routes, and via ferrata (mountain routes equipped with cables, ladders, and metal bridges), as well as the associated tourist facilities.

The ECO-Tourism program also finances the development of centers for tourist information and environmental protection, the arrangement of caves, and the setup and restoration of walking trails. Moreover, the ecotourism destinations can be equipped with wildlife observatories, panoramic view points, and signs for pathways.

The destinations will be promoted through websites, newsletters, parer or digital maps, mobile apps, and touch screen monitors.

The program can be accessed by administrative units, public institutions, NGOs, companies, museums, research institutions, and accredited higher education institutions. They may submit projects that are associated with or include a protected area in Romania.

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Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com