How can dinosaurs diversify tourism in Transylvania? The Dino Park in the Brasov region is one of Romania's main attractions, along with Dracula's Castle. We find out what kind of tourists are attracted to their life-size dinosaurs.
We visit a life-size dinosaur park, where fun and education go hand in hand. The Dino Park is situated in a beautiful Transylvanian setting, in the town of Rasnov, Romania.
"The opening of the Dino Park here had a huge impact, not only in this region, but in the whole of Brașov," says Adrian Apostu, the park’s general manager. Along with Count Dracula's famous Bran Castle, it is one of the country's main attractions.
In addition to the visitors who come to the area specifically for Dino Park, which according to Apostu makes up 80% of the visitors to the area, now that the city of Brasov itself is starting to see more tourists. This dinosaur attraction could also help to diversify tourism, and distribute it to areas further away from the city centre.
Visitors to the Dino Park are mainly families with small children and school visits. Children stroll through the park fascinated by the dinosaurs that stand out among the trees of this dense forest. "Dinosaurs are a big attraction, all children want to find out about them; they are fascinated by their size, their speed, their strength, by everything," says Apostu proudly.
"We always try to combine entertainment, which is what brings people in, with education because the park also plays an important role in educating young people," he says.
But how did the idea for this type of tourist attraction come about? Having seen some similar parks in other countries, Apostu and his partner thought that a similar attraction could work well in Romania. The local authorities opened their doors to them. This park has increased tourism in the area.