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Vama Buzaului, located at the foothills of the Ciucas Mountains, is the eighth ecotourism destination in Romania, having obtained the recognition of the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MEAT), informs the ministry in a press release.
"I congratulate the local administration of Vama Buzaului for its firm commitment to promoting sustainable tourism and environmental conservation and protection initiatives! Moreover, this example of good practice, now on the list of Romania's ecotourism destinations, should be replicated by more and more localities with valuable cultural and natural heritage. In this way, we can build a sustainable future for all of us, but especially for the generations to come," said the minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, Stefan Radu Oprea.
The certification was granted after the verification of the fulfillment, on the ground, of the 100 eligibility criteria, provided for in the National Ecotourism Strategy (2019-2029). The verifications were carried out by a committee composed of specialists from MEAT, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests, the National Institute for Research and Development in Tourism and the Association of Ecotourism in Romania (AER).
"The picturesque settlement invites you to discover, in full harmony with nature, Valea Zimbrilor [Bison Valley] Reserve and the mountain trails that you can walk or cycle on. Moreover, traditional dishes are given pride of place here, in Vama Buzaului. This explains the existence, in this place, of the most local gastronomic spots in the whole country," the press release states.
The Ecotourism Destination Concept has been developed since 2012 by the central public authority for tourism, in partnership with institutions and representative organisations at national level (Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests, National Institute for Research and Development in Tourism and the Romanian Ecotourism Association), based on the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) and the European Ecotourism Standard (EETLS).
At the time (2012), Romania was the first country in Europe to launch such a system of recognition of ecotourism destinations.
