Mamaia, once the pearl of the Romanian coast, welcomes the few tourists who still arrive here with a desolate scenery. Terraces with drawn shutters, shops with padlocks on the door, turned into rubbish bins. Widened beaches, lack of promotion and parking costs last year caused tourists to migrate. The most convenient for them was Năvodari, where the parking is free, the apartments are readily available, and the landscaped beaches attract them like a magnet.
By Andreea Filip on 19.07.2023, 21:12
Mamaia has lost its former luster. Piațeta Perla, the meeting place of Constantinians and tourists, is immersed in silence.
Reporter: “Is it the first pancake?”
Saleswoman: “It’s the first pancake, yes. As of this morning, nothing, at the moment. This year, the coast is very, very empty.”
Saleswoman: “I couldn’t imagine that the cliff would be empty at the peak of the season, where they stepped on their feet in other years. Sad, extremely sad.”
Seller: “You can’t compare to the past years, when I came and the beach was full. At this time I had no room to breathe.”
Gabriel Enache, representative of a terrace: “There were better times and the potential of Romanians was greater.”
The entrance to the Mamaia resort used to be an anthill. At the self-service, people stood in line for more than an hour for a portion of food. Now, it’s empty.
Waiter: “We opened on June 19, and we opened for nothing. We are losing money. The prices are not. One leu more than last year, and for the food.”
Tourists: “I parked somewhere here and there is a lot of dirt, a lot of grass. Maybe a little involvement from the authorities.”
Tourist: “Now the small resorts are much more beautiful than Mamaia, which used to be a star. It doesn’t convince us because the beach is also dirty, grassy.”
Tourists: “Where we come from, we used to eat 20 meters from the beach, there was the restaurant. Here, you can do a lot right down to the water.”
Reporter: “Are you coming back?”
Tourists: “In Mamaia, I honestly don’t.”
Tourists avoid Mamaia
Andreea Filip, Observer reporter: “Cazinou Square, the heart of the Mamaia resort. Once an area where you could hardly find a parking space or a free table on the terrace. Now, it is empty, and many of the restaurants and shops have their shutters closed for good.”
Tourist from Bucharest: “It’s disappointing. We’re really experiencing a moment of nostalgia. Just as, I think, Herculane ended or I don’t know what, so will Mamaia. A lost, finished resort.”
And the Casino waterfront is deserted.
Andreea Filip, Observer reporter: “The souvenir shops in the center of the Mamaia resort have not only closed, but have become places to store construction materials and even garbage.”
The exclusive area of the clubs, where reservations are made for tens of thousands of euros, is full… only of weeds. The situation in Mamaia should be dealt with by the Constața City Hall, to which the resort belongs. We tried to find out why it ended up here, but to no avail.
Năvodari, the new star of the Romanian coast
While the shine of the pearl of the resorts fades, a new star of the coast appears. Just one kilometer away, Năvodari is the new point of attraction.
Sorin Irimiciuc, waiter: “It was a super busy day. I think we have 100 vouchers. On the weekend, we don’t say anymore.”
Luiza Dumitrache, beach manager: “There are indeed more tourists. There are days when we are at 100% occupancy.”
Reporter: “Why in Năvodari and not in Mamaia, for example?”
Tourist: “We like it better here. It’s cleaner, it’s nicer.”
Mamaia Nord-Năvodari became a resort in 2018, and since then it has been steadily gaining ground. And not because the authorities are doing something about it. Accessible holiday apartments, landscaped beaches, restaurants and terraces have become a decisive criterion for many tourists. And, with a little care, the old lady by the sea, the Mamaia resort, could rely on her success.
Observator Economic news Romanians flee from Mamaia. In the resort, the wind blows, the terraces and the shops with the door locked. Why tourists prefer Năvodari
2023-07-19 18:10:00
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