Project

The objectives of the project ”Promoting the county of Bacău (ProBacTur) as a tourist destination: leisure, health, SMIS culture” code 16028 meet the Master Plan of tourist development.

The general objective of the project is the valorization and promotion of the peculiar elements of the tourist potential of the county of Bacău – leisure tourism, spa tourism, cultural tourism and religious tourism – in order to create a set of integrated and competitive tourist products at a national level that should meet the value of the tourist resources of the county and thus boost this field on the list of priorities among the economic activities in the local economy system.

Project specific objectives:

• creating a favorable market at the level of the national market concerning the advantages of the county of Bacău as a tourist destination and the image of its tourist brand;
• ensuring a sustainable development of tourism in a way in which its environmental, cultural and  patrimonial resources could be equally appreciated now and preserved for the future generations to enjoy;
• making sure that tourism is acknowledged as a key factor in the economy of the county and a generator of work places;
• raising the awareness of the local population about the rich tourist potential of the county and motivating them to share it with the tourists;
• a more significant role of the travel agencies in the county as go-between entities by giving information to potential visitors locally and country-wide about the tourist products and services on offer; ensuring the mechanisms of coordinated support for the local tourist organizations to develop tourist policies in the county;
• the development and implementation of the promotion plan of tourist destinations through the collaboration of all interested parties, aimed at all the toursit objectives with a considerable potential in the county of Bacău;
• the creation of a data basis at a county level to include the products, facilities, events and services in tourism industry in order to increase the clients’ access to the objectives presented in the project;
• creating a local county tourism portal as a major tool of information and promotion;

The tourist services presented as integrated packages in this project will generate a demand for a wide range of tangible goods and services which will be produced locally and purchased afterwards by tourist and by companies of tourism (albums, tourist guides, local artifacts, a.s.f.) as well as products and goods produced by other economy sectors (commerce, bulding industry, transport, food industry, textile and footwear, crafts, etc.)
The county of Bacău gives the opportunity of several forms of tourism, from spa tourism to cultural tourism, which favours the approach of several categories of clients. In this context, an integrated offer of tourist products and services has been devised; these are meant to cater for a wide range of needs and expectations of potential clients, the structure being the following:

• Package 1: ”Leisure and spa tourism”, which consists in products of leisure tourism associated with spa treatment
• Package 2 – ”Cultural tourism”, which includes memorial house ”George Enescu” of Tescani and memorial house „George Bacovia” in Bacău; Nicu Enea memorial house; the ethnographic museum on the premises of ”Apostle Saints Peter and Paul” church; Ştirbei Castle
• Package 3 – ”Religious tourism” based on the representative monasteries in the county of Bacău.

Each of the three packages, components of the integrated tourism offer of the county of Bacău, can be an element of specificity in relation to the tourist offer at a national level to the extent to which its peculiar elements are properly highlighted, contextualised and communicated. There are numerous geographic areas at a national level which may offer one or several tourist products also on offer in the county of Bacău, but the integrated offer in this perimetre may be specific through the components of each package, being able to meet a wide range of needs and expectations if properly promoted.

Package 1 – ”Leisure and spa tourism”:

Among the peculiar elements of this analysed package, which potentially generate competitive advantages due to the proposed promotion, we mention the following:

• Slănic Moldova spa
• Mineral springs zone
• Slănic Moldova spa park
• Slănic gorges and waterfall
• The ”300 steps” tourist itinerary
• Mountain itineraries in the Nemira mountains
• The mineral springs of Târgu Ocna
• The saline environment (Târgu Ocna Salt mine)
• Măgura Park spa centre, Târgu Ocna
• Măgura Mountain Spa Park, Târgu Ocna
• Mountain tourism in the area of Târgu Ocna
• Dărmăneşti tourist area, ”Poiana Uzului” barrier lake

Package 2 –  ”Cultural tourism” which includes:

• George Bacovia memorial house
• “Rosetti Tescani – George Enescu” Cultural Centre
• Nicu Enea memorial house
• The ethnographic museum on the premises of “Apostle Saints Peter and Paul” church
• Ştirbei Castle

Package 3 – ”Religious tourism” based on the representative monasteries in the county of Bacău.
The project aims to increase the visibility and promotion at a national level of the most important halidoms in the county of Bacău, thus: ”Saint Varvara” Orthodox Church, situated in the ”Trotuş” salt mine in Târgu Ocna, more than 200 metres deep; Măgura Ocnei Monastery built between 1750-1757; Precista Church – Târgu Ocna (1662; 1860) with the Assumption as a titular saint built in  1683 (according to other sources in 1662) for the first time; ”Holy Parascheva” wooden church, also called ”the Princely Church” built from oak girders on the left bank of the Vâlcica beck, not far from the salt mines, to serve the guild brothers. The legend goes that the church we see now was rebuilt on the spot where an old one stood, built in 1572-1574 during the reign of Prince John the Brave; Saint Nicholas Church of Bacău, built between 1568-1572; The Annunciation Church of Târgu Ocna (later also called Răducanu) built by the great dignitary Ion Buhuţ and a rich man named Pavăl in the late 17th century and early 18th century; the Church of Borzeşti founded by Stephen the Great and his son Prince Alexander; The Holy Virgin Church of Bacău – the oldest halidom in Bacău. This was built as early as the 15th century by Princess Margareta, one of the wives of Alexander the Good; Precista Church built in 1491 by Prince Alexander – Stephen the Great’s son and co-regent – who had settled his court in Bacău; Saint John Church supposedly built between 1802 and 1812 by Ioan Mocanu and father Ioan Moisă; Cioplani Monastery – achieved in the style of the monasteries in the north of  Moldavia (Buhuşi, the 12th century); Răchitoasa Monastery built in 1697 by a high courtier, Ilie Enache-Tifescu (”Roast Beef”); Runc Monastewry, Buhuşi – an old church built during the reign of Stephen the Great, later pulled down and then replaced with a new church in Moldavian style in 1760, which has lasted to this day; its founder was the high courtier Ionascu Isacescu; Bogdana Monastery, Bogdana village, Stephen the Great township. The church was founded by the high courtier Solomon Barladeanu and Ana, his wife, in 1670, and restored in 1755; Caşin Monastery – 16 kilometers from Oneşti, built in 1655 by Prince Gheorghe Ştefan; Stephen the Great and the Saint Monastery, 6 kilometers from the main road connecting Slănic Moldova and Târgu Ocna.