Dino Park Râșnov - the largest dinosaur park in Southeast Europe - perfectly combining adventure with recreation.
Dino Park Râșnov, the largest dinosaur park in Southeast Europe, is located in a secular forest, near Râșnov Fortress, and covers a total area of 3 hectares.
The Park provides a wide range of adventure activities including 9D cinema, 360° cinema, Adventure route, Tyrol plan, Exhibitions in tree houses, Laser labyrinth, Painting workshop, Soundbox, Playground, Dinosaur Olympics, Unique exhibitions, and many other interactive areas.
The project was submitted for financing through the Regional Operational Program 2007-2013 by an SME (SC HCR SRL) on 23.11.2009 and was approved in 2012.
The main objective of this project consisted of diversifying and increasing the added value of the tourist services offered by SC HCR SRL by creating a leisure structure in the form of an adventure thematic park.
Their object was to attract at least 250.000 visitors in the first 2 years, but the target has been overcome, two years after its opening, has been visited by 700.000 visitors and recorded a turnover of 18.189.852 lei.
Dino Park Râșnov has reproduced for the first time the largest flying animal in the world (Hatzegopteryx Thambema) and the largest dinosaur ever discovered in the world (Seismosaurus, the giant 45 meters long).
Dino Park Râșnov was chosen as the perfect location for the Worldwide Avant Premiere of the Movie Jurassic World directed by the famous director Steven Spielberg.
Resources needed
Total value: 22.372.779,36 Lei
Eligible value: 16.607.845 lei
of which the requested non-reimbursable assistance 11.625.491,50 Lei, representing 70% of the eligible value of the project.
Newly created jobs in the first 2 years: 11, of which 5 women and 6 men.
Evidence of success
Total newly created jobs by the end of 2020: 21.
Turnover: 14.906.683 lei in 2019 and 10.340.957 lei in 2020 (the business was a little bit affected by the pandemic).
By the end of 2020, Dino Park Râșnov was visited by 2.163.280 visitors.
Dino Park Râşnov is in the top 3 most visited tourist attractions in Brașov County after Bran Castle and Râşnov Fortress.
Potential for learning or transfer
This practice is a very good example of how to better valorize the potential of an area and increase the number of visitors by involving the relevant actors.
The most important element of this practice is the fact that a new form of adventure tourism is born. Therefore, the project implementation increased the tourism activity in the Râșnov area. The number of Râșnov Fortress visitors has doubled, one year after the opening of Dino Park Râșnov.
The second element was the strategic partnership created between the SME and the Municipality of Râșnov, which leases the land. This way the SME could submit the project for financing. Being successful, the extension of the park became necessary and made possible with the help of the Evangelic Church of Râșnov that lease a second plot of land.
Applicable in other EU regions, if funding sources available.
Tags: Administration, Business growth, Citizens, Creative tourism, Development, SME, Tourism
