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Tourism: Bran Castle visited by over 1 million people last year
Bran Castle, one of the best known Romanian tourist attractions in the world, attracted 835,116 paying visitors last year, to whom we could add participants in public and private events, gratuities, thus recording 1 million people who visited the castle, Bogdana Balmus, PR director at Bran Castle told News.ro. She says Count Dracula’s legend and ghost stories are the main attraction for foreigners who make reservation as early as January-February to make sure they find tickets in October, for events organized at the castle.
The managing company’s business figure went up by 19% last year, to 6 million euros, from 5 million euros in 2016. Incomes grew because of the higher number of visitors, the diversification of personalised products in Bran Castle shops and the diversification of services.
“ 798,298 ticket payers were recorded in 2016. We can speak about a 5% increase of the number of visitors. The difference is not a big one, but it confirms the growing trend recorded at Bran Castle since passing to private management as of 2009. The castle continues to be the most visited tourist attraction in Romania, especially for foreign visitors. It is open the year round and succeeds, with human and financial effort, to offer new services, original ways of spending free time, being unique for carrying out private and public events,” Balmus declared.
She pointed out that foreign tourists come from all continents, most of them from European and Asian countries.
“They come attracted by beautiful landscapes and local food and customs. Certainly, the Dracula legend and ghost stories are the main attraction for foreigners. That is why spending Halloween is the peak event at Bran Castle. Reservations are made from overseas to make sure they will be present at what we call Vampires’ New Year’s Eve”.
Foreign tourists have original requests like night tours, ghost hunting and animal sacrifice rituals.
In 2016 Bran Castle organized a night spent by two persons in coffins, in a scary atmosphere.
This year, the company will complete the Time Tunnel, offering a unique multi-media show in South-Eastern Europe.
“The priority is the completion of the Time Tunnel, an investment of 1 million euros. Then we will restore the Medieval Customs buildings. These will be major investments, which will continue with staff training and current maintenance works,” she added.
Creative workshops and conference rooms will be ready in the next two years.
Bran Castle celebrated 640 years since its documentary attestation on November 19, 2017.