From the ground up

If you have been reading my newsletters for a while, you know they are about Romania. Stories, insights, news.

You also know that offering a destination for which there is no demand is quite a challenge, but to keep myself sane and motivated, I see it as an opportunity. 

Something else that drives us all at Beyond Dracula is hope. 

Hope that even though it might take years for the ministry to realize how to properly promote the destination and when that happens, they also invest in it, there are people already doing an amazing job.

They are the people on the ground, the property owners, the little business owners, the artisans, the Romanians and foreigners who found something they loved in Romania and decided to share it with others.

This month’s gratitude letter is for all these wonderful people whom in time we worked with.

They are the hotel and guesthouse owners who patiently take our requests for small changes to make the stays of our guests perfect.

They are the local chefs and master chefs who care about intolerances, preferences and go the extra mile to make sure everyone is fed and loved their Romanian meals.

They are the beekeepers, the cheese-makers, the artisans, the keepers of local secrets and traditions that welcome our guests into their homes and share stories, food, drinks and, above all, authentic connection.

It’s about them that we read in the feedbacks we get from guests. 

They are the ones giving Romania a face and voice and, if I may have an opinion, they do a wonderful job.

Thank you. Your work is seen and appreciated in ways we sometimes cannot measure or anticipate.

PS: I have recently published a Substack post about my latest trip around Romania. Read it here and if you want to follow my journey branding Romania, subscribe.

Artisans in Transylvania, copyright Cristian Radu