Slow tourism routes to be set up in Romania’s Danube Delta
The Ivan Patzaichin Mila 23 Association, set up to honor four-time Romanian Olympic gold rower Ivan Patzaichin, recently launched a slow tourism initiative on the Danube Delta. The project will set up 40 slow tourism routes meant to encourage visits to the area.
The Association just inaugurated its first route dedicated exclusively to rowboats. The route, named “Ivan’s Delta,” starts at the Ivan Patzaichin Memorial on the Tulcea waterfront and ends at the Ivan Patzaichin Museum in Mila 23, the birthplace of the champion rower.
The route has also received approval from ARBDD (Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration) for an overnight stop. The Administration is set to approve seven more such camping spots for tourists visiting the Delta in slow boats (rowboats or electric boats) or by bicycle, which will be funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
While in Tulcea County, environment minister Mircea Fechet said that tourists interested in visiting the reserve by kayak or bicycle need dedicated routes that do not intersect with motorboat paths. This, according to the minister, will help develop a form of tourism that focuses on protecting the Delta's natural heritage.
"I believe the idea of slow tourism is one that should be explored because many people say that, as it is today, commercial tourism in the long term is unsustainable. I think you're doing something good here, which can only serve as an example of good practice in the future. Today we are exploring. It's a pilot project," said Mircea Fechet, cited by G4Media, during a visit to the camping site.
Currently, camping in the Danube Delta is strictly regulated and only allowed in specially designated and authorized areas, an essential rule to prevent environmental degradation and to protect rare species in this unique region. The new overnight spots will comply with all current regulations and will be equipped with minimal facilities to reduce environmental impact.
Last year, due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, which neighbors the Delta, the number of tourists to the region decreased by at least 40%.
(Photo source: Salajean | Dreamstime.com)
