Italians interested in investing in Romanian tourism

May 11, 2005



A group of businessmen and politicians from the Italian region of Trento have expressed their interest in investing up to €700 million in Cluj county, Romania, for tourism development. Marius Nicoară, the president of Cluj County Council, stated that the council would be interested in collaborating with the Italian investors for the development of mountain roads and ski resorts in the area.

Cluj county, which is located in the centre of Transylvania, is one of the most mountainous areas of the country. The county receives tourists, mainly for winter sports like skiing, and also has agritourism. The county's capital, Cluj-Napoca, is one of the largest cities in Romania.

Corrado Fedrizzi, the president of the Trento Development Agency, said that the Italian delegation needs an estimate of the number of tourists which could be attracted to the area if the development takes place, the amortisation time for the investment and the European Union (EU) funds which could be awarded to support the project. Romania plans to become a member of the European Union in 2007, but currently receives a significant amount of pre-accession funds from the EU.