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28 October - 1 November 2024

Between 28 October and 1 November 2024, Transilvania University of Brașov, in collaboration with six other universities of the UNITA Alliance, holds a unique event entitled Dracula between Pop Culture and Tourism, dedicated to exploring the influence of the Dracula myth on the perception of Romania’s image as a tourist destination. The project, organised according to the Blended Intensive Programme (abbreviated as BIP) model, brings together students and professors from several European countries, and is supported by prestigious scholars and international experts in fields such as cultural heritage, tourism, communication, cultural studies or history.

The agenda of the event includes both thematic conferences and fieldwork in Brașov, Bran, Sighișoara and Viscri. The approached topics feature the evolution of the Dracula myth in international literature and cinematography, the character’s contemporary reinterpretations and his impact on the economic development of the local communities. The participants will have the opportunity to gain an overview of the tourist capitalization on this legend from an anthropological and historical perspective, as well as through the lens of marketing communication.

Students and professors of Transilvania University of Brașov, more specifically the Faculty of Sociology and Communication, the Faculty of Letters and the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, are joined in this project by representatives of six partner universities within the UNITA Alliance, namely Université Savoie Mont Blanc and Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour (France), Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain), Università degli Studi di Torino (Italy), Universidade da Beira Interior (Portugal) and the West University of Timișoara (Romania). The 25 student participants will also benefit from the presence of the professors and specialists who have come to Brașov for Children of the Night – Dracula Congress, the academic conference that has reached its fifth edition.

Whether we like it or not, through the Dracula myth, many potential foreign tourists project their own images and fantasies on Romania and Transylvania, thus bringing their own contribution to the perpetuation of a global symbol associated with this region. The aforementioned myth has been long holding up as a trigger of tourist attraction, with a particular significance and substantial importance in promoting Romania as a unique destination. Within this project, we aim at going beyond a mere emphasis on the Dracula myth, known to many foreign visitors as a symbol spontaneously associated with Romania, towards assessing its integration as an ingredient in building the broader tourist brand. Therefore, we want this myth to become a bridge between history and innovation in the creative communication of Romania’s image. Through field activities and workshops, the participants will have the opportunity to explore the cultural heritage of southern Transylvania and devise new approaches to the sustainable promotion of this region. The project has been scheduled at this time to overlap with Dracula Film Festival, a prestigious event which we have the honor of collaborating with every year. – Assoc. Prof. Florin Nechita, PhD, organizer of this project, stated.

Our collaboration offers students a unique opportunity not only to understand the connection between tourism and mythology, but also to experience Europe’s cultural diversity. Dracula is a meeting point between the local culture and the global collective imaginary, and our programme aims at revealing how this myth can become a resource for the development of the local communities. – Giovanna Hendel, PhD, coordinator of UNITA’s Cultural Heritage Hub, stated.

The full programme of the event is available HERE.

Further information on Children of the Night – International Dracula Congress can be found at: https://dracongress.jimdofree.com/