From a Communist Heritage to an Unwanted Past: The Case of Romania
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Published
Jul 27, 2021
Abstract
Communist ideologies and political regimes have had their specific models of tourism. These models reflect on the way former communist countries view tourism today. Despite the long communist period, Romania refuses to accept Communism as an integral part of its historical culture and society, being perceived as a dark period of its history. Several campaigns which were broadcasted as a way to show the cultural and natural beauty of the country, promote rural tourism and the ancient Romanian History, eluding themes and subjects related with that recent past. Even though there has been a growing touristic interest in Romania’s communist heritage, the country’s strategies express the difficulty in accepting Communism as part of the Romanian cultural identity and history. Thus, what communication strategies does Romania use to promote its culture, in order to avoid its communist heritage? What are the reasons behind the country’s vehement silence about its past? This article aims to discuss how and why the country and its population promote specific tourist products as a way to avoid their communist legacy.
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Keywords
Romania, Tourism, Materials, Sociology of Organizations
References
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2. Light D. An unwanted past: Contemporary tourism and the heritage of communism in Romania. Int J Herit Stud 2000; 6(2):145-160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/135272500404197
3. Deletant D. Ion Antonescu and the Holocaust in Romania. East Cent Eur 2012; 39:61-100.
4. Boia L. History and Myth in Romanian Consciousness. Central European University Press. 2001.
5. Light D, Dumbrăveanu D. Romanian tourism in the post-communist period. Ann Tour Res 1999; 26(4):898-927. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-7383(99)00033-X
6. Emmons AC. The violent revolution: Nationalism and the 1989 Romanian Revolution. Student Theses, Papers and Projects (History) 2016; 53:1-28. DOI: https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/his/53
7. Light D. Dracula tourism in Romania: Cultural identity and the state. Ann Tour Res 2007; 34(3):746-765.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2007.03.004
8. Stanciugelu S, Ţăranu A, Rusu I. The communist cultural heritage in the social representations of a post-communist generation. Eur J Sci Theol 2013; 9(2):1-17.
9. Erdelia G, Dincăa A, Gheorghilaşa A, Surugiub C. Romanian spa tourism: A communist paradigm in a post-communist era. J Stud Res Human Geog 2011; 5(2):41-56. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5719/hgeo.2011.52.41
10. Hall CM. Tourism and Politics: Policy, Power and Place. ISBN: 0471965472, 9780471965473, Wiley Publishers. 1994.
11. Kaneva N, Popescu D. National identity lite: Nation branding in post-communist Romania and Bulgaria. Int J Cult Stud 2011; 17:36-54.
12. Pătraşcu C. The politics of image and nation branding in post-communist countries: Branding policies in Romania. Pub Admin Region Stud 2014; 1(13):40-48.
13. Stoleriu O. Romania’s Country Image in Tourism TV Commercials. 2nd International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference on Social Sciences and Arts. Iași, Romania: University Alexandru Ioan Cuza. 2015; pp867-pp874.
14. Pohrib C. The afterlives of communist things: Archiving feeling in post-communist Romania. Eur J Cult Stud 2015; 19(6):1-20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1367549415597926
15. Hall DR. Stalinism and Tourism: A Study of Albania and North Korea. Ann Tour Res 1990; 17:36-54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-7383(90)90113-6
16. Eco U. Como se Faz Uma Tese em Ciências Humanas [How to Do a Thesis in Human Sciences]. Editorial Presença. 1998.
17. Flick U. An introduction to qualitative research, ISBN 978-1-84787-323-1, Sage. 2009.
18. Ferraz J, Serpa S. Tourism and cultural interaction: A paradoxical relationship. J Educ Soc Res 2021; 11(3):39-47. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36941/jesr-2021-0049
19. Ferraz J. Turismo e Ideologia: as Sociedades Mediterrânicas e o Papel Das Organizações Intergovernamentais [Tourism and Ideology: the Mediterranean Societies and the role of Intergovernamental Organizations] (PhD Thesis). Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa. 2009.
20. Ferraz J. Turismo e Globalização [Tourism and Globalization]. Planeamento e desenvolvimento turístico. Silva F, Umbelino J (Eds.), ISBN: 978-989-752-230-7, Lidel. 2017; pp79-92.
21. Light D. Gazing on communism: Heritage tourism and post-communist identities in Germany, Hungary and Romania. Tour Geog 2000; 2(2):157-176. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14616680050027879
22. Pedersen SB, Noack C. Crossing the iron curtain: An introduction. Tourism and Travel during the Cold War: Negotiating Tourist Experiences across the Iron Curtain. Pedersen SB, Noack C (Eds.), ISBN: 9780367777272, Routledge. 2019; pp1-pp20.
23. Ferraz J. The Ideological Role of Intergovernmental Organizations in the Promotion of International Tourism. Controversies in tourism. Moufakkir O, Burns P (Eds.), ISBN-13: 978-1845938213, CABI. 2012; pp201-215.
24. Sharpley, R, Stone PR. The Darker Side of Travel: The Theory and Practice of Dark Tourism, ISBN: 978-1845412470, Channel View Publications. 2009.
25. Iacono F, Këlliçi KL. Of pyramids and dictators: Memory, work and the significance of communist heritage in post-socialist Albania. Online J Pub Archaeol 2015; 5:97-122. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23914/ap.v5i0.66
26. Minnaert L, Maitland R, Miller G. Tourism and Social Policy: The Value of Social Tourism. Ann Tour Res 2009; 36(2):316-334. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2009.01.002
27. Postelnicu C, Dabija D. Romanian Tourism: Past, Present and Future in the Context of Globalization. Ecoforum 2018; 7(1):1-13.
28. Mazilu M, Dumitrescu D, Marinescu R, Baltălungă A. New trends in Romanian tourism in 2018. J Tour Hospit 2018; 7(4):1-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-0269.1000372
How to Cite
Parra, R., & Ferraz, J. (2021). From a Communist Heritage to an Unwanted Past: The Case of Romania. Science Insights, 38(1), 298–304. https://doi.org/10.15354/si.21.re076
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Review
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