I've spent 10 days in so called "the best Romanian seaside resort" - Mamaia. I keep on asking myself why is the Romanian tourism so bad that no matter how much you pay for services it is still too... expensive.
Well, it is all about mentalities and about moving ahead randomly, outside the framework of DESIGN. Romanians, as a nation, don't know how to plan things on long term, because they don't know how to build and follow a vision. In this situation, there is no style, no diversity within a unifying vision serving the same goal. Everybody wants to gain money, of course, but this is done with no design, no taste, no smart thinking, no rules.
If you want to hear the worst music played at once in one spot, go to Romanian seaside. It is absolutely stupid to play very loud hard-beat bad disco music at a terrace on the beach in the after-noon.
On the other hand, apart from all the other flaws, parking lots are a big problem in seaside resorts. Not enough parking lots means corruption, because hotel personnel can be bribed in order to let you park your car there even if you are not a client of that hotel.
The authorities are not assuring a clean environment so we must face millions of mosquitoes, flies, spiders, bugs and other insects. If you don't have them in your room, you will surely meet these insects on the beach, in the parks, at the terraces, around pools and open-air restaurants. The green areas are not well mantained - one of the most desolating views is the one of the dying grass under the torrid sun...
Then we have that over-helming, very annoying and exhausting "melange" of styles regarding hotels, restaurants, bars, terraces and entertainment places. Diversity without style and outside design is a killer. You come back home more tired than you left for your long awaited holiday. Romanian seaside is the place where you can meet a luxury restaurant, near a smoky, dirty and cheap wood terrace. The big surprise is when you discover you can get sick eating expensive dishes in the luxury restaurant, but having the most fabulous fish plates in the cheap terrace. The problem is you can't be sure of anything - everything is approximatively so or how it is supposed to be.
And the smells... the sea breeze is blending expensive fragrances (worn excessively by tourists in order to protect them against other smells), heavy food odors, public toilettes, fish, beer, pizza, barbecue and sea weeds...
Not enough ATM's. The public or private signage is almost inexistent, so you must carry your own detective investigations to find out different simply - but needful - things.
In the end, after a few days of searchings and findings, you can settle a temporary pattern of lifestyle for the rest of your holiday. But you will soon discover that at your favorite terrace a simple espresso or your favorite cocktail can be so different in quality and quantity from a day to another.
The tourism bosses, patrons, investors, managers simply don't use enough personnel because they don't want to pay to many salaries. Too many things are looking good up-front, and absolutely poor at the back door.
You must spend 10 times more energy and time to fulfill simple things and this will ruin your holiday.
The principle of tourism is that a person is ready to spend a fair amount of money to be TAKEN CARE OF during his/hers long awaited vacation. The only concern of tourism staff is how to grab your money, no matter how.
Ok, if you want something, you must pay, but the style and the design of this transaction are making all the difference in the world.
Of course there are some lucky exceptions, but they are so few, that they cannot make the rule.
Tomorrow I will go to a fancy mountain resort, to spend the other half of my vacation.
So, I will be back on 16th of July, with conclusions.
Have a nice... everything.
Well, it is all about mentalities and about moving ahead randomly, outside the framework of DESIGN. Romanians, as a nation, don't know how to plan things on long term, because they don't know how to build and follow a vision. In this situation, there is no style, no diversity within a unifying vision serving the same goal. Everybody wants to gain money, of course, but this is done with no design, no taste, no smart thinking, no rules.
If you want to hear the worst music played at once in one spot, go to Romanian seaside. It is absolutely stupid to play very loud hard-beat bad disco music at a terrace on the beach in the after-noon.
On the other hand, apart from all the other flaws, parking lots are a big problem in seaside resorts. Not enough parking lots means corruption, because hotel personnel can be bribed in order to let you park your car there even if you are not a client of that hotel.
The authorities are not assuring a clean environment so we must face millions of mosquitoes, flies, spiders, bugs and other insects. If you don't have them in your room, you will surely meet these insects on the beach, in the parks, at the terraces, around pools and open-air restaurants. The green areas are not well mantained - one of the most desolating views is the one of the dying grass under the torrid sun...
Then we have that over-helming, very annoying and exhausting "melange" of styles regarding hotels, restaurants, bars, terraces and entertainment places. Diversity without style and outside design is a killer. You come back home more tired than you left for your long awaited holiday. Romanian seaside is the place where you can meet a luxury restaurant, near a smoky, dirty and cheap wood terrace. The big surprise is when you discover you can get sick eating expensive dishes in the luxury restaurant, but having the most fabulous fish plates in the cheap terrace. The problem is you can't be sure of anything - everything is approximatively so or how it is supposed to be.
And the smells... the sea breeze is blending expensive fragrances (worn excessively by tourists in order to protect them against other smells), heavy food odors, public toilettes, fish, beer, pizza, barbecue and sea weeds...
Not enough ATM's. The public or private signage is almost inexistent, so you must carry your own detective investigations to find out different simply - but needful - things.
In the end, after a few days of searchings and findings, you can settle a temporary pattern of lifestyle for the rest of your holiday. But you will soon discover that at your favorite terrace a simple espresso or your favorite cocktail can be so different in quality and quantity from a day to another.
The tourism bosses, patrons, investors, managers simply don't use enough personnel because they don't want to pay to many salaries. Too many things are looking good up-front, and absolutely poor at the back door.
You must spend 10 times more energy and time to fulfill simple things and this will ruin your holiday.
The principle of tourism is that a person is ready to spend a fair amount of money to be TAKEN CARE OF during his/hers long awaited vacation. The only concern of tourism staff is how to grab your money, no matter how.
Ok, if you want something, you must pay, but the style and the design of this transaction are making all the difference in the world.
Of course there are some lucky exceptions, but they are so few, that they cannot make the rule.
Tomorrow I will go to a fancy mountain resort, to spend the other half of my vacation.
So, I will be back on 16th of July, with conclusions.
Have a nice... everything.
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