International Tourism Between Tradition and Modernization in Socialist Romania: Promoting Tourism Abroad During the 1950s-1960s
International Tourism Between Tradition and Modernization in Socialist Romania: Promoting Tourism Abroad During the 1950s-1960s

Summary/Abstract: This article examines how socialist Romania used cultural heritage with an emphasis on guidebooks, photo albums, and exhibitions to promote itself as a tourist destination abroad during the 1950s and the 1960s. Guidebooks suggested certain itineraries for foreign tourists when visiting Romania, thus, building a certain imaginary, while exhibitions put on display material objects and images that claimed to help viewers get a better grasp of the socialist country. As the article shows, tourist promotion during socialism presented Romania as a space where rich history/culture, including religious symbols, blended with modern tourist infrastructure, such as brand-new hotels and restaurants. This strategy was first developed in the 1950s in the Middle East&Global South, while in the 1960s it was successfully implemented in capitalist Western Europe.

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