Craig Turp-Balazs

Since 2017 I have been the head of insight and analysis at Reinvantage (formerly Emerging Europe), a management consultancy, discussing serious issues such as trade and investment, the rule of law, and human rights across Central and Eastern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

Additionally, I am a member of the advisory council of The Diaspora Initiative.

Previously, I was more frivolous. After leaving university (Romanian language and literature at the University of London’s School of Slavonic and East European Studies) in 1999 I spent the best part of the next two decades writing (and editing) travel guides for just about anyone willing to pay me: Dorling Kindersley (the guides with the lovely illustrations—no, I didn’t have to draw those), Rough Guides, Thomas Cook, APA/Insight, Berlitz, and several other publishers long since forgotten.

Mostly, however, I wrote and edited for In Your Pocket, which in pre-Covid days was the largest publisher of locally-produced city guides in Europe. I was its Europe-wide editor and co-owned the Romanian franchise.

Besides the obvious reason for hanging up my travel writing shoes (there wasn’t really a decent living to be made anymore, unless I fancied becoming a YouTuber/TikTokker—I didn’t) I had reached the stage where there simply wasn’t anything new I had to say about Bucharest’s cafes or Warsaw’s restaurants.

That and the urge, as I approached 50, to do something with a bit more gravitas than telling people where they can get a good dinner in Tbilisi. (Not that such things are entirely without importance, and if you do want dinner recommendations for the Georgian capital, let me know).

Occasionally, I still write about my travels. You’ll find tales of my wanderings on a Substack I’ve called Backpacking at 50. (Latest writing: Family reunions and Moroccan realities).

Happy to help

I speak and consult on strategic transformation, investment competitiveness, and economic development across Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia—with a particular focus on challenging conventional wisdom with data-driven analysis.

My expertise centres on three areas where I’ve carried out and directed substantial research: investment promotion effectiveness, IT sector competitiveness, and business process outsourcing capabilities throughout the region. This work involves transforming complex policy environments and market dynamics into actionable insights for governments, development agencies, and businesses seeking to understand what’s actually happening rather than what everyone assumes is happening.

I regularly work with organisations including GIZ, UNDP, and the World Bank, as well as national investment promotion agencies looking to improve their strategies. I also train government officials and business leaders on effective investment and tourism promotion—which, unless you represent one of a handful of destinations such as Estonia or Latvia, probably means your current approach needs rethinking.

Recent speaking engagements have challenged audiences to reconsider their assumptions: why Central and Eastern European destinations must abandon ‘low-cost’ positioning; why the language we use to define the region actively undermines its competitiveness; and how the Romanian Revolution and subsequent transition reveal patterns still playing out across much of Central and Eastern Europe.

I don’t offer generic market entry strategies or standard destination branding advice. If you want analysis that reveals what others are missing—backed by comprehensive research—let’s talk.

If you want to get in touch you’ll find me at the following places: Bluesky, Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Threads, Twitter/X. Or simply send me an email.