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Dracula made in Bucharest

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28.01.2003, 00:00 9

Tourism Ministry officials on Sunday admitted for the first time that Dracula Park would be built in Bucharest or somewhere near the capital.
"Dracula Park will be built in Bucharest or somewhere nearby, with the piece of land on which PricewaterhouseCoopers would conduct the feasibility study already selected. The conclusions of the study will be presented in March," Tourism minister Dan Matei Agathon told Mediafax on Sunday.
Tourism Ministry sources were telling Ziarul Financiar two weeks ago that Snagov would probably be the chosen location for the Dracula Park. The location of the theme park needs quick access to the airport and to quality infrastructure.
On the other hand, sources on the real estate market say they do not rule out the possibility of the park being built near the future Bucharest-Constanta highway. Such a location would be close to the airport and allow travel agencies to offer longer trips for the foreign tourists, who would this way visit both the seaside and the Snagov area or the Bran Castle.
Bucharest is the most profitable location for Dracula Park, the prefeasibility study by PwC shows. The company has also analysed two more locations, Sighisoara and Constanta. PwC feels Bucharest would attract more than one million visitors, 19% of which foreign, and 11.4 million euros in annual revenues, compared with 623,000 tourists and 5.9 million euros in Sighisoara's case and 661,000 tourists and 5.7 million euros in Constanta's case. Furthermore, PwC points out the gross profit rate in Bucharest would be 37% instead of 34% in Constanta or 35% in Sighisoara, as of 2005, when the consulting firm estimates Dracula Park to reach maturity.
On the other hand, relocating the amusement park from Sighisoara to Bucharest might cause problems, as the Sighisoara-based people who bought shares into this project will not have the park relocated, or else they threaten to withdraw their money.