4 April 2008 | A trans-border project that envisions the operation of passengers ships connecting the Danube Delta in Romania with towns along Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast was initiated by Romania, media reported recently.

Three Romanian municipalities, Constanţa, Mangalia and Tulcea – all of them located along the country’s Black Sea coast, will be included in the project. On the Bulgarian side, the Balchik, Varna and Burgas municipalities will be partners.

Authorities hope that the project, which envisions ships that will transport passengers in both directions, will be financed by the European Commision.

Beside the opportunity for foreign visitors to easily see both countries’ coasts, it will surely benefit Romanian tourists who, since the countries joined the EU in 2007, began to head south en masse for their holidays. As BalkanTravellers.com reported recently, the number of Romanians who visited Bulgaria in the summer season of 2007 grew by more than 100 per cent, compared to the previous year.

Beside the practical benefit of an additional way to go and accommodate the increased traffic between the two states, the ships may also prove to be a tourist attraction.

The Danube Delta is where Europe’s second largest rivers flows into the sea, after it branches out into three separate arms. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, as a part of the Via Pontiki path, its wetlands are crucial for migratory bird flocks, including some rare and endangered species.

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