Simion Alb and Simion Giurca, the former heads of Romania’s Promotion Offices in New York and Vienna, considered by the business environment as the most active and high-performing promotion professionals who have worked in the last 28 years within the entities managing tourism, resigned and left the Ministry of Tourism at the beginning of last week.
The relevant minister, Mircea Dobre, who closed all of Romania’s tourism offices abroad in June, recalled their directors to the country, and offered the two positions as simple employees of the promotion department.
Simion Giurca, the former head of the former Vienna office, specified that the minister offered both him and his New York counterpart positions as simple employees in the ministry’s promotion department, with salaries of 2,100 RON/month. With this money, Giurca, born in Timisoara and without a home in Bucharest, says he could barely afford to pay the rent and utilities for an apartment in the capital.
In the spring, for the third consecutive year, he ranked 1st among the directors of the 38 national tourism offices operating on the Austrian market and 28th in the general ranking, which includes 230 tourism managers and decision-makers from Austria, in a ranking published by a magazine in that country.
Ten years ago, Giurca received the national order „Goldene Verdienstzeichen der Republik Osterreich”, being at that time the first head of a tourism promotion office of a country decorated by the Austrian state. In 2014, Giurca received the title of honorary citizen of the Austrian capital, a distinction awarded by Michael Haupl, the mayor of Vienna.
Simion Alb first held the position of Romania’s promotion director in Amsterdam, and a year later moved to New York in the same role. When he left for the USA, 29,000 tourists were coming to Romania from there, whereas last year 278,000 Americans arrived.
Source: Profit
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Simion Alb and Simion Giurca?
They are the former heads of Romania’s tourism promotion offices in New York and Vienna, widely regarded as the country’s most effective tourism promoters.
Why did they resign from the Ministry of Tourism?
They resigned after the closure of all foreign tourism offices and being offered low-level positions in Bucharest with salaries of approximately 2,100 RON per month.
What impact did their work have on Romanian tourism?
Simion Alb helped increase US tourist numbers nearly tenfold, while Simion Giurca was ranked as the top national tourism director in Austria and received high state honors.