Danube Delta is spread across Romana and Ukraine where there are several lakes, islands and channels made off the rivers and wetlands. This was designated in the year 1998 which is the largest reed bed in the continent. This meets at the Black Sea after covering more than 68,500 ha of area (UNESCO, 2022).

Here, the blog wild discusses the business environment around the Danube Delta. The local and natural resources which are available in the area will be considered here. These will be shown with the help of some charts, images etc. The size of the industry and the link of this site with tourism will be described. The Danube Delta’s contribution to the economy at local and international levels will also be discussed here.

1. Business environment of Danube Delta

According to Jane (2019) business environment is the set of external factors which impact business operations and influence them to modify or enhance to meet business goals. The four aspects of the business environment are labour, technology, the state and the economy. Other than these, the fifth variable is differences in institutional and regulatory frameworks and culture.

The tourism resources are considered the infrastructure, condition of the spot to attract people, man-made attractions and services. There are many local resources available in the surrounding area of the Danube Delta.

Infrastructure

Image 1: List of hotels around the Danube Delta

Source: (Tripadvisor, 2024)

Danube Delta is based in Tulcea County, Romania which has both rural and urban areas. This place has museums and hotels which provide opportunities to attract tourists. It is a 14 sq. kilometre area where a well-established infrastructure can be observed (Romaniatourism, 2024). There are various hotels in this place like Razelm Luxury Resort, Casa Renea, Muller Hotell Boutique & Spa etc. People who are visiting Romania can stay at these hotels and visit the delta. These are some of the luxurious opinions for tourists. Besides these hotels, there are some holiday rentals which tourists can also avail. Some of the budget-friendly hotels are Citadel Aparthotel, Egreta Hotel, Delta 3 Hotel, Hotel Insula, Live Tulcea etc (Tripadvisor, 2024).

There are also many museums here which help to attract people. These are the Central Eco-Tourism Museum of the Danube Delta, the Museum of Ethnography and Folk Art and the Tulcea Museum of History and Archaeology.

Image 2: Some heritage kept in the Tulcea Museum of History and Archaeology

Source: (ICEM, 2024)

Tulcea Museum of History and Archaeology was founded in 1975 and it focuses on history and archaeology. Most of the investment has been done in scientific research, protection, documentation and development of the museum heritage (ICEM, 2024). The Central Eco-Tourism Museum of the Danube Delta has two settings like an aquarium and the museum itself that makes it unique and attractive to the tourists. This was open to the general public on 25th February 2009. There are 3 species of reptiles, 46 species of plants, 12 species of mammals and 44 species of birds kept in the museum. It has been using modern technology and facilities to hold 150 tonnes of water with 24 native species of fish from the black sea and Danube Delta, 8 marine invertebrates, 12 coral from Indonesia and 23 species of fish. There is also a Botanical collection, Ichthyology collection, Malacology collection, Ornithology collection etc which make the museum more attractive (ICEM, 2024a).

The collections of both of these museums are very attractive to the tourists. The Museum of Ethnography and Folk Art is a public building which is a core part of national architecture. This museum shows the artefacts which are unique and show diversity as the collection has been made with Romanians and others. There is a huge collection of 8000 pieces that can be set as ethnography, folk clothing, photo documents and folk art (ICEM, 2024b).

Condition of the spot to attract people

Image 4: Danube Delta Restoration

Source: (RewildingEurope, 2018)

The conditions of the places that tourists can visit are considerably good as a lot of funding is provided for the Danube Delta. Arcadia is an establishment which supports work to influence the protection of cultural heritage and the endangered ecosystem. Their aim is to have a green future which is resilient and vibrant. They have funded nearly £30 million to the fund created by Peter Baldwin and Lisbet Rausing. Through this, rewilding activities in the Danube Delta have been restored. This is a part of the Rewilding Europe strategy in which the aim is to make Europe more wild. Some principles, tools and models are followed to benefit demonstrable, measurable and sustainable factors in terms of people and nature. The aim of this plan is to show how people and nature co-exist and also prosper. Rewilding Europe announced a grant of nearly 1.80 million for the ELP or the Endangered Landscapes Programme.

Image 5: Danube Delta Restoration

Source: (RewildingEurope, 2018)

This is considered the biggest programme for restoration. This project has the aim of recovering natural fields through some ecological processes. This also includes 400 sq. Kilometres of landscape in the Danube Delta. The local communities thrive because of the development of the economy which is nature-based. Natural gazing is also enhanced which helps in increasing natural biodiversity (RewildingEurope, 2018). The Danube Delta is a great place for natural resources where various kinds of species can be seen. Among the eight projects funded by ELP, the Danube Delta is one which is considered for steppe restoration. This, it can be stated that through the funding, the condition of the place has been maintained properly. This can attract people more as people can enjoy the biodiversity and natural landscape when they come to the Danube Delta.

Man-made attractions and services

There are many man-made processes and strategies which work as resources to make the Danube Delta more attractive for tourists. Other than the natural factors and using natural resources, man-made approaches are also used to make the site more attractive and protect it. Promotion of the delta can be beneficial for the place as the area is not very developed. The surrounding area of the Danube Delta has problems of low living standards, unemployment and dependence on natural resources. For this reason, a plan to develop panels hides and wildlife-watching towers is made. This can improve the local community more to grow the nature-based businesses. Promotion of the local products is also done to support the local area.

Image 6: Man-made attractions of the Danube Delta

Source: (LonelyPlanet, 2024)

There are many museums made by people to make this place appropriate for tourists to roam around. The attractions are Sulina Cemetery, Lighthouse, Moscheia Azizie, St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church etc (LonelyPlanet, 2024). In addition, The Black Sea Gardens where water lilies can be seen (Spiac, 2021). Nicolette Basilica & Sarika Nicolette Winery, Celic Dere Monastery, and Cocos Monastery are some of the attractions which people can enjoy (Romaniatourism, 2024).

2. The size of the industry, linkages with tourism and its impact and contribution to the economy

Size of the industry

Image 7: Romanian Tourism’s GDP share

Source: (Degenhard, 2023)

The tourism sector of Romania has been increasing day by day. There are many attractive places among which the Danube Delta is one of the most attractive ones which tourists like to visit. After the pandemic, the tourism of the company has been growing and its share of GDP is also increasing. In 2021, the GDP share was 1.2.65% which increased to 3.42% in the next year. Gradually it increased more and in 2023 the share was 4.19%. The forecasted share is also on the growing side and by 2028 it is expected to increase to 5.71% (Degenhard, 2023).

Linkages with tourism

The Danube Delta is famous for being the biggest natural wetland in Europe. There are many reed beds, rivers, lakes, dunes, coasts, steppes, lagoons and a climax forest which make it a unique ecosystem. While visiting the Danube River it covers many of the attractions and cities. Therefore, it has become an attractive and appealing place for people to visit (AMATravel, 2024).

Image 8: Boat Rides in Danube delta

Source: (DiscoverDanubeDelta, 2020)

There are different reasons that people visit the Danube Delta. The tourists are offered to take boat trips through the river. They have experienced people who calculate the power of the engine, the number of people who will be travelling and the boat’s draft. The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve is a sensitive area for destruction. This place has been destroyed by human beings in many ways. There is always space for the fish and birds as the boats use propellers. Since the year 2006, they have started to change their boats and by the year 2020, they are using the boats which are advanced and exclusively produced. The Open Boats do not have ant dis walls, roofs and windshields which also run at a slow speed. This helps people to enjoy the surroundings and observe the nature and habitats. Some Covered Boats are also seen here, however, they are not for tourism. Tourists can take boat trips without any hesitation or problems as the boats have control panels in the back of the boat so that they are in constant sight of their guide. The guide can control the tourist boats so that people can enjoy the nature like flowers, birds etc (DiscoverDanubeDelta, 2020).

Image 9: Caraormani

Source: (Dreamstime, 2024)

Caraormani is another attraction that tourists can visit which means The Black Forest. Here, tourists visit the place to see the cultural heritage and architecture of the area. The communist period of time can be experienced in this place as the ruins and former mining sand had made an industrial area. Traditional houses, a deltaic village, the start of industrialisation, and red roofs can also be seen here. Tourists can also visit the forest and the local partners will offer rides to them, by tractor or car or a trailer. This Caraorman Forest became a protected area in 2000 and it has been protected since then to provide an exciting experience for the tourists.  Fauna is also an important thing here where nests are created in the old trees. Thus, it helps in having a large number of bid species like forest birds, woodpeckers etc. Through nurturing the wildlife, the golden jackal is also observed here. Other than protecting the wildlife and trees, dishes are also delicious here which attracts people. Different styles of the preparation of Prussian Carp and Carp are very famous here along with Catfish Soup. Thus, people visit this place to enjoy the canals of the Danube Delta with the locals (DiscoverDanubeDelta, 2020a).

Image 10: Mila23

Source: (DiscoverDanubeDelta, 2020b)

Mila 23 is another attraction which is visited by tourists to have the entire feeling of the Danube Delta. This place is another way to attract people to the Danube Delta as an authentic feel can be obtained by visiting Mila 23. Mila 23 is a village near the Danube Delta which is attractive for many reasons. This village has a high number of factors which cannot be offered by any other village here. The village is surrounded by water bodies. For this reason, a whole lot of tourists do not visit the place and crowd the place. This destination can be visited by people to get the feeling of the Danube Delta. There are alleys, and narrow lanes where people can roam around without the fear of crowds and street cars. The honking of dimwits can also be heard at the very early morning, at 3 a.m. and eaten on the terrace (DiscoverDanubeDelta, 2020b).

This place is situated at the Old Danube where no heavy ships are allowed or get through. Here, only some small ships and boats are seen which help in maintaining the peace. There is also no traffic here and this is a great place for boating and kayaking. As it is based in the missile of the Danube Delta and not close to Tulcea County, this is not visited by a lot of tourists who like to stay around people and urban areas. When tourists visit this place, it becomes a trip which attracts people to visit Mila 23. Another reason for a visit is that it is a day trip and people can go one different route while visiting this place and also not get bored. The access route is very efficient, and it may vary based on the tourists’ previous visits and preferences. For example, if they start at the Sulina beach, they might travel straight to the way to Tulcea. Through crossing the pond, tourists also experience the canals which is a natural factor. The traditional Lipovan houses can be visited here along with the traditional clothing of the locals which makes the experience even better (DiscoverDanubeDelta, 2020b).

Impact and contribution

The tourism sectors contribute a high amount of revenue for the growth and development of the economy. In the place of Romania accounts the 4.19% of the country's GDP and the Danube Delta is the centre place for tourists which has earned a high amount of revenue for the tour and tourism sector of the economy to a great extent (Statista, 2024). Romania like the Dacian Fortresses and Danube Delta record the tour and tourist accommodation with the amount of 4.8 thousand which can be hosted with the help of the 11 million tourists who visit Romain for the purpose of the tour and tourism. 113 thousand tourists visit Romania as per the report of 2022 9.6% of the foreigners visit the Romanian Danube Delta Mountain and 9 thousand foreign tourists visit the village places of Romina increasing the revenue of the tourist sector which is used by the tourism industry for the purpose of the economic growth and development within the UK nation. In the places of the Danube Delta records a high amount of revenue from the hotel and it is expected to increase in the future period it recorded 4.8M lei from tourists which can also be used in the contribution to the economic growth and development of the nation (Statista, 2023). Romania recorded 5.02 million tourists visiting in the year 2020 and recorded 24th ranking in the world of absolute terms at the global level and generated a good amount of revenue and contributed 1.2% in the gross domestic production of the country in the year 2021 and 10% are contributed for the international tourism development by the Romina which is good for the economic growth and development with the help of the tour and tourism industry of the Romania and Danube Delta place visiting numbers (Worlddata, 2024).

Conclusion

The blog has been based on the way a World Natural Heritage named the Danube Delta has been impacting socially and economically. It has been known that the site is based in Romania and Ukraine where various wildlife, fish etc. are available. Various species of these can be found here while the development of the site is being done. The business environment around the Danube Delta has been discussed here. Further, the area's natural and local resources have been taken into account. In this context, the infrastructure around the pot like some hotels, museums and other local tourist palaces has been mentioned. Some pictures and lists of the places have been provided here. The man-made attractions and services like Moscheia Azizie, St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Lighthouse etc. are stated here. This has been discussed with the use of a list of tourist places. The blog has further discussed the industry's size and how this location relates to tourism. The linkage of the Danube Delta has been explained in this blog by stating why people visit this place. Some of the places like Mila23, availability to open boats and Caraormani have been provided here with images. The Danube Delta's economic impact both locally and globally has been stated.