Access and fishing permits for Romania’s Danube Delta start selling online

Romania’s Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority launched an online service that allows tourists to buy online their access permits to the delta or fishing permits, in case they want to go fishing. The authority thus aims to make it easier for tourists who want to visit the Danube Delta, one of Romania’s most beautiful regions. The authority sells the permits on its website, ddbra.ro (the page is in Romanian). A tourist access permit for one day costs RON 5 (EUR 1.1), a one-week permit is RON 15 (EUR 3.3), and a one-year permit is RON 30 (EUR 6.7). A fishing permit for one year is also RON 30. Those who want to go to the Delta by car or by boat must also pay for the vehicle access. Since inaugurating this service on Friday, June 26, the authority has already sold RON 2,000 worth (EUR 440) worth of permits, said Lucian Simion, the reserve’s governor, quoted by Agerpres. The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority also plans to set up more automated permit vending machines in various popular locations throughout the delta, after inaugurating the first two machines at the Delta hotel in Tulcea, in April 2015. Since the beginning of this year’s touristic season, the authority has sold over 10,000 access and fishing permits, worth some RON 250,000 (over EUR 55,000). However, the number of access permits is way lower than the actual number of visitors to the Danube Delta, as many people don’t bother to buy tickets. Last year, the authority issued over 43,000 access permits while the total number of tourists who visited the Danube Delta was over 100,000, according to its estimates. The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve covers over 5,700 square kilometers of wetlands, including the virgin beaches at Corbu, Vadu, and Gura Portitei. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. Romania wants EUR 1 bln EU funds to develop its Danube Delta Romania spends EUR 3.5 mln to clone a piece of its Danube Delta at the Milan World Fair New research project to be hosted in Romania’s Danube Delta More trains to take tourists to the Romanian seaside, Danube Delta starting this weekend Over 40,000 Romanians chose the Danube Delta in 2012 while number of foreign tourists down editor@romania-insider.com