A wave of tourists stormed the Prahova Valley and Brașov county mountain resorts during the holidays at the beginning of this year.

Slope administrators report "historical figures" in terms of the number of people using cable cars and gondolas, and mountain rescuers appeal to tourists to respect the rules that the mountain imposes: appropriate equipment, preventive conduct on the slopes, and compliance with the rules prohibiting entry with sledges into areas designated for winter sports.

"The figures recorded at the beginning of this year are historic. We have never recorded such a large number of tourists climbing the mountain in just a few days," Maria Floricica, the administrator of the Sinaia resort's ski area who has held this position for eight years, told News.ro.

The crowding is so significant that, to avoid any unwanted incidents, the administrator of the ski area has taken, on some days, measures such as suspending the cards for going up the gondola, simultaneously with the call sent to tourists to organize themselves to get down from the mountain early.

The good news is that record numbers translate into profits for those in the tourism industry. The bad news is that the number of accidents on the slopes - and beyond - is directly proportional to the crowding.

(Photo: Anyaberkut/ Dreamstime)

iulian@romania-insider.com