Photo credit (c): DANIEL STOENCIU / AGERPRES STREAM

According to Chairwoman of the Seaside — Danube Delta Association (ALDD) Corina Martin, the number of foreign tourists who spend their holidays on the Romanian seaside has started to grow, with the resort of Mamaia generally being the number one option.

‘As much as 95 per cent of our customers are still Romanian holidaymakers. Now we’re growing the segment of foreign tourists, after very many years of attempts, and the increase is mainly due to the success of the resort of Mamaia, which became an international brand increasingly better known,’ says the ALDD representative.

After a decline of the resort in the early 1990s, Mamaia began to make extensive investments in infrastructure, accommodations and service quality, as well as in diversifying possibilities of fun, with the exclusive clubs built in the northern part of the resort becoming a powerful magnet for tourists.

From one year to another, Mamaia welcomes its visitors to more accommodation places, despite criticism that this way green spaces are disappearing. There are 80 hotels up to five stars, with a total capacity of over 20,000 beds. In addition, the resort welcomes tourists to chic restaurants and terraces, walkways, recreation centres, a gondola lift, as well as a water park that can accommodate almost 2,500 people and host many social events and performances. One of the events is the Mamaia Carnival, with parades of floats and themed shows whose protagonist is eccentric mayor of Constanta Radu Mazare.

In summer season 2014, three footbridges were inaugurated at Mamaia, built by the local administration on EU funds, with the total amount of investments amounting to about 11 million lei. The investment was made in order to both increase the road traffic flow, and also to attract tourists by their special look.

Photo credit (c): CRISTIAN NISTOR / AGERPRES STREAM

Called ‘Iaht’ (Yacht),’ ‘Navod si pescarusi’ (Fishing net and Gulls) and ‘Val retro’ (Retro Wave) after their shapes, the footbridges are located at the entrance to the resort of Mamaia coming from Constanta, in the Casino and the Rex Hotel areas, respectively, having been built above the avenue of the resort.

The footbridges seem more imposing at night when illuminated, and there are few tourists departing from Mamaia without take pictures on these new structures.

Another investment made in the last year is the rehabilitation of the esplanade of Mamaia, including the Casino and Perla squares, by paving them in granite, improving lighting, replacing old street furniture and planting more than 800 trees, with the project having been conducted on EU funds of 50 million lei. A bicycle lane runs along the entire seafront.

At the same time, the number of parking lots along the tourist promenade has increased.

According to representatives of the Constanta City Hall, the esplanade of the resort of Mamaia has so far been 70 per cent rehabilitated, and works will continue and be completed after the end of summer season 2014.

Another project on European funding totalling 24 million euros regards the construction of a seven-storey car park near the Casino Square at the resort of Mamaia.

The park will be able to hold 400 cars, to be completed by April 2015. Subsequently, according to the mayor of Constanta, parking can be used for free by travellers for at least five years.

With the upgrading of the esplanade, beach conditions improved and operators increased quality of their services to attract tourists.

Photo credit (c): SIMION MECHNO / AGERPRES ARCHIVES

The resort of Mamaia has one of the largest resort beaches in Europe, as it is about ten kilometres long and 200 metres broad in some areas. The sand is fine, without too many shells and pebbles. Most of the beach is equipped with benches, umbrellas, bars and terraces. AGERPRES