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In this paper we study the impact of Covid-19 pandemics on the incoming tourism in Romania. Following the typology of crises in general and the specific nature of the Covid crisis, we will see what effects this most recent pandemic had globally and what economic policies were taken to counteract the adverse effects of the pandemic. We will see that the lockdown and mobility restrictions at European level have led to a free fall of the incoming tourism, increasing the share of domestic tourism on the one side, while on the other hand we observe the tendency of people to move to the countryside. There have been observed some trends that favoured nature tourism, but we also witnessed, that OECD recommends continuing with a more sustainable tourism. We witnessed in 2022 a recovery of tourism in the European Union, which seems to invalidate the trends reiterated by OECD. Through a statistical regression we try to forecast the trend of incoming tourism in Romania, which gives us two possible directions of its evolution. Analysing the pessimistic case, we also identify systemic risks at the level of Romanian incoming tourism, that is focusing on a few countries only, so we see diversification as a very urgent matter for Romanian tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The civic participatory system is a means of involving citizens in decisionmaking processes and monitoring public policies, aimed at increasing the transparency, accountability and efficiency of public administration. The civic participatory system implies the existence of formal and informal mechanisms for consultation, dialogue, collaboration and cocreation between public authorities and civil society in order to identify, formulate, implement and evaluate solutions to problems of public interest. In the field of culture and tourism, the civic participatory system plays an important role in promoting the enhancement of cultural heritage, cultural diversity, access to culture and sustainable tourism development. This article aims to analyse the civic participatory system in order to outline a current situation at national and regional level for the development and valorisation of cultural heritage through tourism in the Danube region, which is characterised by great ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity. Method: This paper will use the systematic literature review method to investigate multicultural communities in the Danube area and how to improve institutional capacities, social inclusion and sustainable urban development. Results: Considering the decreasing capacities of public administrators to integrate the participatory approach into decision-making processes, this article will report on the conceptual delimitations of the civic participatory system related to the tourism and culture sector in multicultural communities in the Danube region and identify the relevant actors corresponding to this process. Originality: The article makes a significant contribution to the knowledge of the current situation of the civic participatory system in the Danube region and to the formulation of concrete proposals for its improvement. The theme is relevant and current, given the importance of cultural heritage and tourism for the sustainable development of the Danube region, as well as the need to involve citizens in decision-making processes and to promote intercultural dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematic review of the specialized literature related to tourism companies in Romania, which have implemented European funds. We used the bibliometric analysis with information from 70 articles published in the mentioned journals and magazines, taking into account the key terms established at the beginning of this article. Our article focused on highlighting the problems, influencing factors and specific consequences, according to the established terms. The limits of this article will be reduced in the future, when we will supplement the theoretical information in it with practical data, based on the answers to the questionnaires sent to the tourist service providers who have implemented projects with European funds and to the 8 Regional Development Agencies. The results of our research will help theorists and practitioners, as well as decision-makers in Romanian tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In 2008 the Romanian government adopted the National Plan for Territorial Planning (rom. Planul de Amenajare a Teritoriului National - PATN) section VIII - Areas with tourism resources. In this document a categorization of localities/municipalities that have tourism resources is undertaken based on tourism potential and other supply-side elements (e.g. tourism specific infrastructure and general infrastructure). The purpose of this paper is to see to what extent the categorization from PATN is reflected in the evolution of tourism flows (as part of demand) in the period 2001-2019. In other words, the aim is to see how the categorization from PATN is seen from the perspective of demand-side, a component that was not included in the methodology pertaining to PATN. Design/methodology/approach: Data from National Institute of Statistics (INS) at municipality level have been used for deriving annual average growth rates for the period 2001-2019. These data refer to arrivals of tourists in accommodation establishments (herein called accommodation statistics) for a number of 786 municipalities for which data is available. Main findings: It has been determined that one third of the localities listed in PATN as having high and very high concentration of tourism resources are not registering any flows of tourists in accommodation establishments. More, a superior performance of tourism demand was observed for localities not listed in PATN as compared with localities that were listed in PATN (an annual average growth rate of 8.6% versus 5.6%). This is quite surprising and may question the methodology underpinning PATN. Originality/value: This paper is the first one that wants to challenge the official categorizations of localities in Romania from PATN in terms of tourism resources. Conclusions/Recommendations: A revision of the methodology pertaining to PATN categorization of municipalities is recommended in order to include also variables of existing tourism demand at local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collaborative (or sharing) economy continues to shape the tourism industry, challenging both the traditional areas of supply, but especially the trust and digital skills of users, the acceptance of platforms and new inter-personal and community relationships. In the present paper a crosssectional quantitative research was conducted with non-random convenience sampling in order to determine the impact of the collaborative Airbnb platform among Romanian tourists, how wellknown it is and what elements motivate tourists to choose this platform. We also want to analyse the extent to which the benefits and innovations brought by this new phenomenon are in line with the needs and expectations of tourists and whether they are interested in this phenomenon, the extent to which tourists have chosen the Airbnb platform to stay in Romania or abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the analysis of the tourism development from a regional point of view. The unfavourable situation of the tourism in Romania is doubled by the same situation at regional level. In order to point out the regional disparities in tourism developing, a regression analysis becomes useful. The analysis is focused on representative indicators as: tourist accommodation establishments, nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments, seasonality in tourism nights per month, net occupancy rates of bed-places and bedrooms in hotels, or regional GDP/capita. The intermediate results of the analysis led to the use of the cluster approach. As a result, the eight NUTS 2 regions were grouped in two dedicated clusters. The main conclusion of this research is that Romania is not able to develop a modern sustainable tourism at regional level. On the other hand, the paper offers enough data and ideas to improve the regional tourism development approach for the regional decision makers. The whole analysis is based on the latest official statistical data and is supported by pertinent diagrams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the development of rural tourism has the role of creating a balance between the traditions specific to the local community and the tourism industry, the socio-economic benefits on the community being influenced by the way of organization, arrangement of tourist villages, as well as by the variety and quality of tourist services. Romania has a valuable rural tourism potential, which properly capitalized can positively influence the development of local communities, ensuring the creation of new jobs, additional income for the population, while stimulating external investments in rural areas. In this context, sustainable rural development as a factor of active economic growth becomes necessary, in order to gradually move to an acceptable economic and social standard in rural areas. Because the Romanian tourist village does not present itself as a standard tourist product and carries the imprint of the original, the unpublished and the surprise, it is attracting an increasing number of tourists, both Romanian and foreign. In this sense, the scientific research methods used include bibliographic synthesis for the theoretical basis of the paper, data processing, comparative analysis and description of data from the studies identified and collected from specialized institutions, from official reports and statistics. The preliminary results include analytical investigation of the impact of rural tourism on the socio-economic development of local communities, analysis of the evolution of the accommodation base in rural areas, as well as the evolution of the tourist circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, mountain tourism is one of the fastest growing market segments, with over 2000 mountain resorts boasting an industry of over 115 million skiers. Romania has a vast mountain tourism potential, with numerous resorts that ensure both winter sports and opportunities for recreation and knowledge of cultural and ethnographic values of local communities. The present paper aims to analyze the mountain tourism potential of Romania and the development possibilities of this segment of the tourist market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism has been developed into the fourth industry in sense of contribution to GDP worldwide. This paper analyses the role of tourism industry to gross domestic product (GDP) of some European countries like as Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Romania, but also countries like USA, China, Japan, Great Britain, Mexico. The objective of this research was to determine the top five tourism markets in 2019 according to annual report of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC, 2020). Romania's tourism industry had a direct role of 3.16 billion USD to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2018, a little more higher than in 2017, placing Romania on the 64th place in the world. The analysis the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC, 2020) estimates an economic impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on tourism and travel 5 times greater than that of the global financial crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having in mind the fact that tourism is an industry that involves the work of lots of providers, it is of great importance to especially analyse the strategic marketing approach of a destination. That should be done in order to improve the image and the position in the mind of the consumer. This paper has the aim to show an overview of the strategy in marketing overall, as well as the image that Ohrid has as a destination in terms of tourism. The SWOT analysis provides efforts in order to improve the image and to help in the strategy creation and positioning in terms of tourism. The paper is ought to be part of a bigger research project in this regard, a research project that should help Ohrid in the pursue of gaining a distinctive image and proper marketing strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romanian tourism has received a significant boost this year through holiday vouchers Romania is "busy" by holiday vouchers. The holiday vouchers have been this year's absolutely essential support for the Romanian tourism industry, the occupancy rate of the hotels registered after their issuance at the national level, being an unprecedented one in the last ten years, according to the Association of Tourist Promotion Associations from Romania (FAPT) [1]. The present paper makes a positive analysis of the impact recorded in the last 6 months of 2018 as a result of holiday vouchers approved by the Romanian Government in the second quarter of this year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the conditions of the competitive economies, the economic agents also face opportunities and threats especially in the tourism industry, taking into account on the one hand the mainly intangible character of the tourist products, and on the other hand the impact of the international climate on the travel options of the potential tourists. Under these conditions, in international tourism, travel agencies should provide modalities and opportunities for planning and conducting stays that would counteract the negative impact of conflict situations in a region with openings to the most secure geographical regions. Starting from these realities, the paper analyzes the evolution of external actions organized by the travel agencies from Romania in the last ten years. The results show that at least so far both the offers and the actions of tour operator agencies and sale activity agencies have been sufficiently attractive so that the interest and implicit demand of tourists has generally kept on an upward trend, reducing the number of actions in a conflict-marked area is counterbalanced by intensifying them in areas of stability and security for tourists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oltenia is one of the nine regions of Romania. Its tourism potential refers to an ensemble of components like geographical ones, historical, folkloric, religious and cultural, which create the premise for the development of diversified forms of tourism. The paper presents a research regarding the potential of developing tourism in Oltenia with the purpose of obtaining an image of the destination. Taking into consideration the fact that the region is not one of the most developed regions of Romania it is necessary to retain funds from the European Union to create an image of the destination so that more tourists will come in the area and these tourists will buy different tourism products. Tourism represents an important part in the economy of each country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The INTERREG IPA Cross-border cooperation programme, among other numerous programmes initiated by the European Union, offers ample opportunities for cooperation and social and economic development of neighbouring countries. Within the IPA CBC Romania-Serbia programme, the eligible area for joint action and financing includes three Romanian counties and five Serbian districts, empowering various institutions, local authorities and private non-profit organizations to develop new partnerships and projects to benefit the local and regional economy. The paper aims to assess the territorial impact of the cross-border cooperation programme at the Romanian-Serbian border, with focus on the tourism sector, focusing on the economic, social and cultural outputs of the projects, such as investments, key statistical tourism data, cultural events, local community benefits. Within the two programming periods, 2007-2013 and 2014-2020, tourism was ranked among the main pillars of development, either as a measure within the first priority axis during the first period, or as a major priority axis - Attractiveness for sustainable tourism during the latter. Thus, there were financed 30 tourism related projects, totalling some 15 mil US$, where local authorities were the leader for most projects during the first programming period, while after 2014, the non-governmental organisations account for almost half of the projects leaders. Not always, the municipalities with highest inflows of finances are those with the highest increase in the number of tourists, nights spent or significant visibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of the tourism supply in Romania, the research on the phenomenon of tourism, as well as the development of the higher education system in the field of Tourism Geography. Also, the paper presents the main development stages of this field of study starting with the research and capitalization of the natural resources (the research and capitalization of the mineral and thermal waters can provide an accurate example in this case) and of some existing anthropogenic elements. The research includes different thematic studies, based on thorough documentation. The resulting contributions were presented in different national and international scientific events. A special part is dedicated to the research and higher education developed in the field of tourism within Babe$-Bolyai University, at the Faculty of Geography in Cluj-Napoca. The vast and diverse bibliographical references include theoretical and applicative articles and studies, as well as monographic studies and doctoral theses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which the largest Romanian travel agencies communicate their CSR practices and policies in the online environment, as reflected by the contents of their websites and social media pages, outlining the manner of this online disclosure within specific CSR domains. Design & methodology - The websites and social media pages of the largest Romanian travel agencies, in terms of net turnover, were analyzed considering several variables related to CSR communication/disclosure: having a CSR dedicated section, including CSR reports, emphasizing legal and economic responsibilities, and disclosing workforce, society, market, and environment oriented CSR actions or policies. Findings - The research reveals significant deficiencies and superficiality in communicating CSR in the online environment by the investigated organizations. Only 10% dedicate a section on their website to CSR, none of them include any form of CSR reports, while the most frequent CSR aspects comprised in their online domains can be categorized as market-oriented, service quality being the most emphasized facet, fair pricing and honest/transparent communication being also consistently outlined. Originality of the research - Research on how the members of the tourism distribution sector communicate CSR in the online environment with focus on Central and Eastern Europe has been extremely scarce. This paper's contribution consists in reducing this literature gap, bringing insights into CSR communication practices from the Central and Eastern European tourism distribution sector. Moreover, the proposed methodology for analyzing travel agencies' websites and social media pages can be further used in order to research the issue of online CSR communication in other regions or tourism sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper aims to estimate the economic impact of tourism in Centre development region of Romania, using the regional input-output analysis. Prior Work in the field of assessment of tourism impact suggest input - output analysis as a strong instrument of analysis, previous research papers using this model in various region and countries of the world. The main approach of the paper is to develop GRIT model (Generation of Regional Input - Output Tables) previously used by the experts. The results of the paper indicate lower backward or forward regional tourism multipliers as compared to those estimated at national level. The main findings of the paper has significant implications for the decision-makers in order to support tourism sector and better capitalize the tourism natural and cultural patrimony. Furthermore, the methodology could be used in other Romanian development regions. The value of the paper consists in adapting input-output methodology at regional level in order to estimate tourism impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper "Development of the structures of tourist accommodation in Bihor county" I want to research the process of development of the structures regarding the tourist accommodation in Bihor county over the last 10 years. This research will comprise the types of structures regarding the tourist accommodation which are included in the resorts from Bihor county and their level of development. Also I will present in tables the dates regarding the tourist arriving in the tourist accommodation, the capacity of tourist accommodation in the existent structures in Bihor county. I will follow - depending on tourist arrivals - the artistic, scientific and religious events occurring during that period, in the idea of linking the occupancy of tourist accommodation structures with spiritual products and services in that area. When I say spiritual products and services I refer to the artistic work, scientific and religious goods and services that tourists are benefiting, those products and services that draw tourists in a certain area. This study will show the importance of spiritual products and services in tourism management and marketing. I will highlight the challenges facing by developers of accommodation facilities and will provide more appropriate proposals for tourism management. In my paper I will use statistical data provided by the National Statistics Institute, theoretical and practical methods at the resort. In conclusion the calculated numbers will show the occupation level of the tourist accommodations and also the level of development for Bihor county's tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism is a pillar of a country's economy due to its ability to provide growth and prosperity and to reduce poverty and regional disparities. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC, 2011) estimates that the Travel & Tourism sector is accountable for 9.2 per cent of global GDP, 4.8 per cent of world export and 9.2 per cent of world investments. In this context, the travel & tourism competitiveness index, created by World Economic Forum, aims to measure the factors and the sub-factors that make attractive the development of tourism in different countries. The aim of using this tool is to provide useful information for comparing the tourism industry at country level. This paper aims to analyse the factors and sub-factors that underline the travel & tourism competitiveness index (TTCI), applied at regional level, from the perspective of the 8 development regions of Romania. The purpose of this analysis is to observe the competitiveness of these regions and to determine the strengths and weaknesses of each region, analysis based on which we can find solutions to increase competitiveness at regional and country level. The results of the article can provide useful information for the tourism industry regarding a comparative analysis of the regions of Romania, and can also be a tool for decision-making related to business development and tourism sector. Furthermore, this paper is useful for the tourism industry due to the possibility of drawing attention to the obstacles faced by the tourism sector, first of all at regional level and secondly, at country level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tourism industry has an important contribution to the GDP of a country, both through domestic consumption of tourist services and receipts from international tourism. According to data provided by the National Statistics Institute, domestic tourist movement in 2016 slightly exceeded the 7.2 million residents. This paper is a theoretical approach and presents an empirical research on tourism potential and its importance in the development of tourist activity. It can be said that Romania's tourism potential is of great complexity and of inestimable value due to various forms of territory and history of the Romanian people. However, at the national level, we have all the necessary elements and we have all chances to become a competitive tourist destination domestically and internationally; in order for this chance to become a reality, we need to exploit the existing potential and transform Romania into an attractive tourist destination for both Romanian and foreigners, a performance target, as the natural conditions and materials are available [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a more globalized world, with the rise of the importance of tourism in the global economy (its share in GDP) and the growing competition on the market of global tourism, providing quality tourist products represent a desideratum recognized by all the actors involved in activities in the field. In this context, the Total Quality Management (TQM) concept should be a very important tool to be used in this sector. The latest report published in 2017 by World Economic Forum was a valuable source of information for the level of quality of touristic services in Romania and a starting point for our research. The objectives of this paper are to examine the present quality of Romanian touristic services, the place of TQM in the business strategy of Romanian companies, the advantages of implementing TQM and the measures proposed to raise the quality of touristic services in Romania. The research methodology is based on a questionnaire applied to 300 employees from the tourism sector in Romania and the results demonstrate the role and importance of TQM in increasing the quality of touristic services in Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to success in any business an important factor is considered to be the quality of the services delivered to customers. The paper presents the tourists' satisfaction with respect to the services offered by the rural guesthouses. Lodging represents an important part of the holiday. According to the available legislation of Romania there are more than 10 different types of accommodation facilities which can be certificated to assure the tourists' services. Hitherto in Romania the certification of accommodation facilities is due only based on the technical characteristics. For the main objective of the paper a survey was conducted in 2 flowers and 3 flowers rural guesthouses. The respondents were asked to evaluate the quality of the services by using the SERVQUAL model. The quality of the services offered by the rural guesthouses did not meet the tourists' expectations for none of the comfort categories. For future research it is recommended to conduct a similar study at the nation level to determine if only the technical characteristics are enough or not to certificate an accommodation unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Greenhouse gas emissions GHG have a significant impact on the environment. Their dramatic increase is being led by changes in land use patterns, deforestation, land clearing, agriculture, and other human activities UNWTO, 2003, inducing one of the main challenges humankind is facing nowadays, i.e. climate change. The concentration of GHG in the atmosphere has been growing at an unprecedented rate and magnitude. They have increased since the beginning of the industrial era and accelerated worldwide, particularly since 1945. Global emissions of GHG grew 70% from 1970 to 2004 IPPC, 2008. Countries most contributing to this are the developed nations and, more recently, the BRIC countries, which are going through a rapid economic growth process. Solely, the United States accounts for around one fourth of the world''s GHG emissions. This paper will investigate the impact of changes in the final demand for tourism sector on the carbon dioxide CO2 emissions, using the environmental input-output IO approach. The empirical analysis is developed for Romania, using economic and environmental data. The shocks in tourism final demand will reveal the environmental burdens transmitted throughout the economy of an initial percentage change. The second finding of this paper concerns the decrease in CO2 emissions as a result of changes in CO2 intensity of various productive sectors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents the particularities of the supply and demand in Vatra Dornei SPA resort, which is located in the North-East part of Romania, in Suceava County. In order to face the new challenges of the market the supply needs to adapt to the new trend. This is not possible without knowing the tourists profile. In the first part of the paper is presented the literature review about the importance and the trends regarding the deveplemnt of the health and wellness tourism. The paper continues with the description of the analyzed area and the research methods used. The research method used was the survey and the main indicators used to analyze the demand and supply were: number of tourists, overnights stay, average length of stay, number of accommodation facilities and the occupancy rate. In order to achieve the purpose of the present paper a study was conducted in Vatra Dornei in the period July-August 2011. The statistical data about the supply were analyzed and debated and a survey was conducted on 150 tourists. The results show that the supply still needs to be adapted to the tourists profile and to the national thermal tourism development strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The question of whether tailings dumps are or could be sustainable is somewhat unanswered within the sphere of sustainable mining. The literature is abundant concerning the negative impacts of tailings upon the local environment–human system and wider. However, the literature is equally numerous concerning the unique ecological habitats that can develop, and resultant recreational and job opportunities within the tourism and leisure industry. Therefore, whether tailings dumps could be a sustainable entity, is important to answer. The paper consequently intends to explore this by the application of a mathematical model of sustainability to the results obtained for the EIA of the tailings dumps of the Lupeni coal mine, in the Jiului Valley, Romania. The EIA conducted used the Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) methodology. The paper demonstrates the methodology necessary to apply the model to the results of the RIAM evaluation. A determination of sustainability or unsustainability for the tailings dumps was undertaken. The results indicated that currently the tailings dumps were currently deemed as unsustainable, based on the obtained E-value of 0.464 being lower than the obtained H NI-value of 0.482. The paper concludes by stating the tailings dumps could become a valuable ecological and recreational resource if a proper and effective environmental management strategy was implemented. However, based on previous mining-related studies conducted by ourselves, this would produce weak sustainability to occur at best. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper presents an Input-Output Analysis for Romania, an important source of information for the investigation of the inter-relations existing among different industries. The Input-Output Analysis is used to determine the role and importance of different economic value added, incomes and employment and it analyses the existing connection in an economy. This paper is focused on tourism and the input-output analysis is finished for the Hotels and Restaurants Sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most tourists spend there holydays under the sun raises, pleasant raises but not too hot. Fashionable destinations are on the verge of becoming too hot and avoidable and those destinations which today are very cold will increase their popularity. Almost 10% of the income is spent on recreation and tourism. The climatic changes will not influence the sum spent but the places, the destinations were these will be made. The incomes from tourism are, for some regions, the most important sources and their lost could determine a big economic problem. There is an obvious sensibility of the tourist's behavior concerning the changes which affect the environment in which they spend their time. We analyze in this paper the psychological and physiological impact of the climate on tourists by adapting Romania's climatic particularities to the models applied in the western literature recently preoccupied with this extremely sensitive interferences. The data we use in this paper is offered by the Meteorological Region Center of Oltenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the beginning of this paper, we are presenting the way in which the apparition and the development of the Internet can be used to sustain the development of the Romanian agritourism. Then it continues with the presentation of a prototype of a agritourism pension web site that can be a part of a Business to Consumer approach. The paper ends proposing the authors' solutions for the weak points of this field and by indicating the future research directions within the Romanian expanding virtual space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to be competitive on the tourism market, hotels adopt different strategies. An intelligent and relatively new strategy that is adopted in the hotel market in Romania is the use of the ECO concept, the goal being to achieve sustainable development and sustainable tourism, involving a series of socio-economic benefits. One of the first accommodation units in Romania to use this strategy is Vega Hotel in Mamaia, a 5* hotel, which was awarded the Eco-Hotel Management System certification by Tuv-Rheinland Romania in the summer of 2009. This paper, through a market research, analyzes the views and attitudes of tourists on the use of the ECO concept in the hospitality industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper entitled The touristic potential of Caraş-Severin County, we proposed ourselves to highlight the need for community of the tourism development, the importance in this context of the natural and anthropic resources. Translating in practice the theoretical identification we could conclude that in the development of a touristic area a special importance is awarded to the promotion of touristic attractions and facilities, meaning the touristic patrimony which is available that leads to the increase of the tourists' number. Our research is based on the analysis of the touristic potential of the five big areas of the Caraş-Severin County respectively the touristic areas: Semenic, Aurora Banatului, Clisura Dunării, Scorilo and Băile Herculane. Thus, the analysis on areas was achieved on the following elements: relief and geological structures, climate, waters and hydrographic network, vegetation, fauna, archaeological and historical vestiges, artistic and architectonic elements, which participated at the economic development of the area. On the basis of our research, we can conclude that Caraş-Severin County has an excellent natural touristic potential, tourists having the possibility to admire special landscapes, to visit caves, natural reservations, springs, falls, to go fishing, swimming and canoeing on natural lakes and due to the climatic conditions they can benefit from treatment such as air therapy. Regarding the anthropic touristic potential in Caraş-Severin County, this is diversified, tourists can study the habits and traditions of the region and they can visit: the railway Anina-Oraviţa, Mihai Eminescu Theatre in Oraviţa, the artesian fountain and the steam locomotives park in Reşiţa, Decebal's Statue and Tabula Traian on the Clisura Dunării, barrier lakes, the ruins of some boroughs, historical and architectural monuments, monasteries, churches and museums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tourism and travel industry represents, worldwide, the most dynamic sector of activity and, at the same time, the most important job generator, as well as a source of recovering the national economies. Development of tourism policy in Dobrogea area is a priority for sustainable development of the Romanian provinces. This paper aims to highlight the particularities of touristical space of Dobrogea and the strategies and policies that can be considered to strengthen tourism potential of the area. The research methods used are the inventory-type analysis of the usable resources and the cause-effect explanation of the investigated phenomenon. The. investigation of relations that exist between the environmental and social factors, at local level, makes it possible to define the necessary mechanisms for the sustainable development of tourism activities that should contribute to the increase of the number of jobs and of alternative incomes. The research presented was performed only in Romania for the two counties and aims to highlight the role of Dobrogea in building its own brand image, identifying the main tourist attractions and types of tourism associated with it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-commerce offers, at a modest cost, a solution of promotion and marketing of tourism products, well as an efficient way to communicate with customers. This paper focuses on the analysis of travel websites in Romania. Are identified key elements that should contain such a site and provides a comparative analysis of three virtual agents. Tourism has benefited from Proges over 20 years. information technology and communications. Currently, these two related elements, namely the Internet and ICT are notoriously under the operational, structural, strategic and marketing towards easing global interaction between suppliers, intermediaries and consumers around the world. This article play an analysis of the key elements of this field and the importance and impact on the business tourism sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the context in which topography and biodiversity Gorj county represent strengths in development of rural tourism / ecotourism. The area is characterized by the diversity of landforms, mountains, hills, plateaus, plains, meadows, rivers, natural and artificial lakes, that can be capitalized and constitute targets attraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of people and countries is laziness and indifference in finding solutions to this kind of situations", this quotation of Albert Einstein is representative in defining "the financial crisis". This being said, from the beginning of the crisis, there were false pretences of the economic growth which, by the actors involved, consumers have determined chaotic expenses/uncontrolled consumption and a rapid expansion of the capital markets. This determined the premises of the economic and financial crisis in most European countries. The negative effects of the specific initial phase of the new crisis came from the internationally reported problems. They were felt in Romania from the very beginning of 2008 as a result of the international financial crisis and they were measured, from a quantitative point of view, by professionals/ analysts and bankers. This paper desires to be a presentation of the effect problematic which the Romanian financial and economic crisis exerts over the investments made in health food and tourism units and over their potential to overcome constraints/barriers which have appeared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial equilibria of an enterprise is constantly a target of any manager as it depends on the viability and prosperity of the business. If in the past financial equlibria were seen only through comparison of static working capital and working capital requirements and its resultant net tresaury with the adoption of IAS and especially after the adoption of IFRSs, requires a new approach to namely a dynamic approach balances seen in terms of short-term liquidity, long term solvency terms and by linking performance with the company's cash flow. That is why in this paper we present the three components of the dynamic balance of tourism enterprises, namely: the liquidity balance, equilibrium and balance the performance solvency and cah flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of people and countries is laziness and indifference in finding solutions to this kind of situations", this quotation of Albert Einstein is representative in defining "the financial crisis". This being said, from the beginning of the crisis, there were false pretences of the economic growth which, by the actors involved, consumers have determined chaotic expenses/uncontrolled consumption and a rapid expansion of the capital markets. This determined the premises of the economic and financial crisis in most European countries. The negative effects of the specific initial phase of the new crisis came from the internationally reported problems. They were felt in Romania from the very beginning of 2008 as a result of the international financial crisis and they were measured, from a quantitative point of view, by professionals/ analysts and bankers. This paper desires to be a presentation of the effect problematic which the Romanian financial and economic crisis exerts over the investments made in health food and tourism units and over their potential to overcome constraints/barriers which have appeared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability manifested locally expanded to national, outlining the context of Romanian tourism industry under guidance protection, conservation and regeneration of environmental resources. The paper analyzes the evolution over time of the number, and surface of protected natural areas, being a reference point in the direction of strategic management thinking of tourism in the protected areas in Romania under the spectrum of sustainability, leading to a quantitative development and qualitative at high levels. The analysis of the number and surface of protected natural areas is through the data retrieved from the database Tempo-one line from the NIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain tourism potential is complex and varied in structure, size and spatial distribution, which is related to massive expansion, differentiation altitude, geological composition, configuration and specific geological landforms, fragmentation, vegetation cover and peculiarities of the river system, etc. Therefore under the mountain in northern Oltenia highlights some differences in the regions in terms of structure, volume, value, capitalizing on opportunities in tourism mountain tourism potential. Mountain tourism is one of the traditional forms of tourism in affirming Romanian tourism internationally, both through natural potential available by the low level of degradation of landscapes and through investment efforts that were made in the specific offer. European alpine countries (France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, etc.) attaches great importance to the potential of mountain tourism available and submitted in this regard, special efforts for the development of mountain resorts attract millions of tourists annually amateur ski of sports winter mountain in general. Romania has a great value ski area that can compete successfully with the ski areas of central and Western Europe. What are the strengths and weaknesses of Romanian mountain tourism potential in comparability with famous country ski area for winter sports will see throughout this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a theoretical approach of the relation between tourism and local development. The research method used is based on documenting and summarizing aspects related to the importance of tourism on local development. According to data provided by the World Tourism Organization (WTO, 2014), compared to 2010, a 91% increase of the number of international tourist arrivals is forecasted in 2030, from 948 million arrivals (2010) to 1,810 million arrivals (2030). Therefore, it is no surprise that tourism is viewed as a development strategy in many national economies. Tourism literature captures a series of arguments that emphasize the contribution of tourism to local development by: creating new jobs, revitalizing cultural traditions, improving infrastructure, environmental protection, etc. For Romania, as well, it may be noted that tourism strategies included in the 2013-2016 Government Programme are oriented towards local tourism by: decentralizing the authorization and approval activity, developing an integrated tourism by capitalizing all the local resources (cultural, agricultural, handicraft, etc.), connecting Romanian tourism to international trends, etc. In order to achieve the aforementioned objectives, the 2013-2016 Government Program provides the clarification on the issue of decentralization, since the current government believes that a balanced development of Romania can only be achieved through transfer of authority to the local, county and regional levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Cooper et al. (2005) no two individuals are alike and differences in perceptions, attitudes, images and motivation have an important influence on travel decisions. From this point of view it is important for tourism managers to research and understand the way in which tourists make buying decisions. The tourism industry stakeholders need to act in relation to the tourists' desires and key motivation factors. The present paper focuses on a direct marketing research of the tourists' behaviour regarding the Romanian seaside destination. We investigated the tourist's motives in choosing Romanian seaside and their preferences for the transportation, accommodation and trips arrangements. The tourists' satisfaction levels related with the seaside characteristics were also investigated in our research. Last, but not least we evaluated the main sources of information that tourists took into consideration when choosing Romanian seaside. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological developments lately led to the improvement of marketing developed in the field of tourism. The competitive tourism products were built at affordable prices, which could be distributed both directly and through intermediaries. An important role in the development of marketing in this field had online. It was he who allowed facilitate communication between the parties involved. Thus, through the existing web technologies and tools currently in the online environment, tourists can access various information related to tourism activity in Romania. This paper aims to highlight how individuals use the online environment to conduct nature tourism. Thus we see what are the main elements accessed by users on search engines and try to determine how to develop actionable online communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper was prepared in order to highlight the main lines of action that may be taken by managers, representatives of national and local authorities and all those involved in tourism development in the coastal areas. The coastal zone has enormous potential that can turn into a destination for the whole year, if understood and maximized the opportunities offered by the natural and cultural heritage sites. To achieve the objectives of regional development through tourism is very important to create a coherent institutional framework term, involving all stakeholders concerned with tourism (local and regional public authorities, cultural institutions, local artists and other men of operators in hotels, travel agencies, civil society). The harmonious development of tourism in the entire coastal areas will contribute to social and economic growth of our country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apuseni Mountains of Romania is a great resource for the variety and originality of its ecosystems. People these places, the locals, are the keepers of Romanian traditions millennial unflinching times and people, braving the dignity of history. Natural wealth of the Apuseni Mountains is their competitive advantage, which is why it is at the confluence of different interests, such as to bring every time, at the forefront of social concerns, economic and political. The special charm, Apuseni Mountains has important natural resources can be used sustainable, to ensure a sustainable eco - economic as well as cultural tourism potential and particular sense in which this paper aims to highlight some aspects of thereof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper highlights the role of tourism in Romania as a force of economic development. It starts by a brief presentation of the components of Romanian tourism and continues by the analysis of tourism's contribution to the GDP in the EU, and also in Romania. It further presents the contribution of tourism to exports and to the total number of jobs, indicating the connections with the other industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romania has a diversified and balanced tourism potential, which allows us to develop a sector based on natural and human resources, given that tourism is on full rise worldwide, with proven beneficial results for economies of the countries that promote these activities. Throughout the paper is analyzed the evolution of the main tourism specific indicators (number and type of tourists accommodated, the number and type of tourist reception accommodation capacity, units classification by degree of comfort, the number of overnights and length of stay, etc.) for the period 2006-2012, the analysis of various statistics provided by specialized institutions. Results of the analysis undertaken allowed by interpretation of the indicators analyzed, establishing the strengths and weaknesses of this sector. Romanian tourist industry engines could be: health tourism and mountain-in the case of some resorts; seaside tourism, rural tourism, in some areas, tourism and event circuit, ecumenical tourism. Some aspects of national tourism were generated by inconsistent policies in the field, at the macroeconomic level, which are reflected until the microeconomic level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights bicycle as a valuable resource to build sustainable economies and tourism. The interest for bicycle and cycling is increasingly greater day after day due to their recreational aspect and to their usefulness. Bicycles require less space, they are less expensive, they are good for health and for the environment, they are more efficient for short journeys within the city and they present a low risk level. By means of this study, by looking for answers in the aspects related to the economy of bicycle, we will try to show the influence that the bicycle has on the sustainable development, putting forward the bicycle contribution to sustainable tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism is indeed one of the economic activities with most significant potential to generate future growth and employment in the EU. While there is increasing recognition of the positive impacts of tourism on economic development in Romania, existing relationships between tourism industry stakeholders is fraught with challenges that constrain its development. Finding the right balance between an autonomous development of the destinations and the protection of their environment on the one side and the development of a competitive economic activity on the other side may be challenging. The paper explores the nature of participation by destination stakeholders in formulating and implementing tourism strategies in Romania. It then explores the strategies of tourism development built around a centrally coordinated but decentralized tourism network that reaches out to all representative stakeholders when formulating and implementing tourism strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coincident with the effects of globalization, in recent decades, the role of agriculture in much of the advanced world as a pillar of economic and social life is redefined. Romania, a former communist country, illustrates the struggles of European rural regions due to the lack of economic and trade opportunities. The challenges that Romanian rural areas are facing are supplied by the complexity of the backwardness as compared to urban areas, these too ruined by the political and governmental actions which led to the construction of post-revolutionary democracy that depleted the industry landscape competitive in an era already bygone, which limits the potential and resources necessary for the rising of new industries. In this analysis we try to focus on the changes taking place in the Romanian rural areas, in terms of vine-growing and wine-making business operators. The Romanian rural area is a space that, in the context of the transition from centralized economy to market economy, has accumulated multiple dysfunctions, whose resolution requires the identification of viable solutions, matching local potential and at the same time preserving traditional specificity. Taking into consideration the cultural, historical, natural and economic values of the Romanian village, it can be capitalized as a highly original tourism product - enotourism. On small wine businesses in rural areas it was less discussed at academic level, with a tendency towards issues as generational renewal or decline of the industry in which they operate. On the other hand, in this paper we analyze the hypothesis according to which businesses of small producers in the traditional wine industry face severe challenges related to their viability and continuity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essential problem for the current investment processes in Romania is to identify mechanisms and funding sources for public works and public services. A solution for such investments financing is the public-private partnership tool, providing the basis for certain investments, and also for the outsourcing of public services. The use of this managerial tool offers varied benefits: PPP enables public authorities to undertake projects that they cannot implement on their own expenses and also simplifies the management of public properties. Based on the legislation applicable in Romania and the European experience in the PPP field, this paper proposes the improvement of Romanian legal provisions on PPP and also its enforcement by local authorities as beneficiaries of such projects in an unitary strategic planning framework. The research was based on the analysis of the current situation and also on two case studies in the field of urban rehabilitation and leisure tourism. The result is the proposal to include a special section dedicated to PPP projects in a strategic planning framework for community development at local, county and regional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]