A €1 billion theme park planned near Bucharest could create thousands of jobs and expand Romania’s tourism industry as the country continues to face high levels of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Here is more information about the Dracula Land project.

Dracula Land Project

Dragoș Dobrescu, founder of Dracula Land, describes the project as more than a real estate development, calling it a “project of national vision” and a potential landmark for Romania.

Dracula Land is a proposed entertainment and tourism complex planned near Bucharest. According to the project’s developers, construction is will begin in September 2026, with an opening targeted for 2027.

The planned development would cover a 160-hectare site and include a theme park spanning more than 780,000 square meters, with six themed areas and more than 40 attractions. The wider project also plans to include hotels, an aqua park, a luxury outlet, a 22,500-seat arena and a technology hub.

The project is undergoing development as a private investment exceeding €1 billion, according to project representatives.

Romania’s Progress Against Poverty and Social Exclusion

Romania has made progress in reducing the share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in recent years, but significant challenges remain.

In 2025, 27.4% of Romania’s population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared with 20.9% across the European Union. Romania recorded the third-highest rate in the EU, behind Bulgaria and Greece.

The rate has declined from 32.0% in 2023 to 27.9% in 2024 and 27.4% in 2025. The indicator measures people affected by at least one of three conditions: monetary poverty, severe material and social deprivation or living in a household with very low work intensity.

Potential Employment and Tourism Activity

The proposed development could generate economic activity through tourism, hospitality, retail and entertainment.

According to Dracula Land’s developers, the project should create more than 5,000 direct and indirect jobs across tourism, technology and services. These estimates depend on the project being completed and operating as planned.

The wider development plans to include hotels, restaurants, retail, entertainment and event facilities, which could generate demand for workers across several sectors.

The developers also project around three million visitors annually during the first phase and an economic impact of approximately €5 billion over the following decade. These figures represent projected outcomes rather than established results.

Tourism could therefore become a channel through which the development contributes to Romania’s wider economy if the project achieves its visitor and investment projections.

Technology and Economic Opportunities

Technology is another major component of the proposed development.

According to project plans, Dracula Land’s business and technology hub is expected to provide space for more than 1,000 workstations for startups working in areas including gaming, artificial intelligence and digital industries. The project also proposes a digital version of the destination built using Unreal Engine 5.

These plans could broaden the types of employment associated with the development beyond traditional tourism roles such as hospitality and entertainment. However, the scale of these opportunities will depend on the project’s eventual implementation and operation.

Looking Ahead

Dracula Land remains a proposed private development, and its projected economic benefits have not yet been established. Construction is currently planned for September 2026, with an opening targeted for 2027, but these dates remain subject to the development process.

If completed and operated at the levels that its developers project, the project could generate employment and tourism activity across several sectors. However, there is currently no evidence that these projected jobs would directly benefit people experiencing poverty or reduce Romania’s rate of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

The development therefore represents a potential source of employment, tourism and investment, while its wider economic and social impact will depend on whether the project reaches its projected scale.

– Hana Abdulati

Hana is based in London, UK and focuses on Business and New Markets, Good News, Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr