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The paper presents the way in which a tourist reception structure can practice sustainable tourism based on the conservation and protection of all natural and anthropic resources. The case study was carried out at a Boarding house in the commune of Crasna-Gorj, where authentic agrotourism is practiced, because a series of specialties served at the table to tourists are prepared with products obtained from their own household, in which traditional agriculture is practiced, based on obtaining high quality products, with as few chemical substances as possible. At the same time, the main natural and anthropogenic factors favorable to the practice of tourism were presented, and an analysis of tourist traffic and the quality of management at the boarding house under study was carried out. In the analysis of the tourist potential and activity, more emphasis was placed on the objectives and leisure and gastronomy activities specific to the place, through which the Boarding house can create an offer of great originality and attractiveness for tourists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a complex study on tourist traffic and the impact of the pandemic on the main indicators of quality of tourist services, at Simona boarding house - Dolj. The boarding house under study built its activity on a niche route, which caught on very well in the area, as it is primarily based on leisure activities and spending time outdoors, away from the noise and pollution of big cities. It is located in a more secluded area, at a greater distance from the main road, in an area with smooth hills and a special climate, which plays an important role in attracting tourists, a fact proven during the pandemic. In the first part of the paper, we focused on characterizing the area in terms of natural and anthropic tourism resources, after which an analysis was made of the main indicators that define the quality of services offered to tourists. Finally, based on the study and the results obtained, we concluded that Boarding house Simona - Dolj practices a modern management of the highest quality, as evidenced by the values of indicators that define the quality of tourism activities, which are at a higher level, high compared to similar ones at the national level, even in the severe and restrictive conditions of the pandemic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural development is a key objective of national and European policies, widely debated at political level but also in the academic community. Romania is a predominantly agricultural country which makes agriculture the main pillar of rural development. However, there are many rural areas in the mountains where agriculture cannot be practised at a high performance level, so diversification and the search for new economic sectors is essential. In these areas, tourism can be considered as an alternative to agriculture in rural development. It is important that tourism development is managed responsibly and that the views and concerns of local people are taken into account. Open dialogue and community consultation can help strike a balance between the economic benefits of tourism and the preservation of local values and quality of life. In this context, this paper aimed to carry out a survey in order to identify the opinion of the local population from the commune of Valea Doftanei in relation to the development of tourism and leisure activities as a source of income and with a positive impact on the community development. The survey was based on an interview using a structured questionnaire and addressed to 380 interviewees and the results have been statistically processed with SPSS Software. The results pointed out that the inhabitants of Valea Doftanei Commune have a positive attitude towards the development of tourism and leisure activities and consider that by a well managed tourism strategy it could be assured a beneficial economic development of the locality as well as the preservation of local values and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the authors present the tourist activity in the Western Development Region, analyzing the evolution of the following indicators: tourist accommodation facilities, accommodation capacity in operation, the number of incoming tourists and the total number of overnight stays in tourist accommodation facilities. The information needed for this study were provided by the local authorities, the National Institute of Statistics and other bibliographic sources. The analysis, centralization and processing of the obtained data allowed the elaboration of the most important conclusions regarding the evolution of the main tourist indicators found in the studied area. Tourists arriving in the Western Development Region are attracted by the natural tourist potential, which is represented by rich natural resources and the existence of unique natural elements, recognised and protected through the numerous protected natural areas, including the Retezat National Park, the most important in Europe, but also by the existing anthropic potential. On the territory of the region, there are 14 tourist resorts, 6 of which are of national interest and 8 of which are of local interest. The authors of the work made a diagnosis regarding the evolution of the tourist accommodation structures, the capacity of the tourist accommodation structures, existing and in operation, but also other very important aspects for the tourist activity in the analyzed area. The tourist accommodation structures in the Western Region had an upward trend in the analyzed period, the same evolution can be observed in terms of the existing accommodation capacity. Instead, the accommodation capacity in operation had an oscillating evolution from one year to the next, with the most accommodation places being found in 2015, and the fewest in 2020. The total number of tourists arriving in the region recorded an upward trend until 2019, and in the pandemic, arrivals drastically decreased, but then, from 2021 they began to register slight increases. Tthe number of overnight stays followed a similar tendency, the lowest number being recorded in 2020, both for Romanian and foreign tourists. Therefore, the development of tourism in the Western Development Region is accessible also thanks to the accommodation possibilities for tourists who want to spend their leisure time in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study aimed to elucidate the significant predictors of profitability in rice farming under the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) in the Philippines. Data from 177 rice farmers in Hilongos, Leyte, Philippines were analyzed using descriptive analysis and econometric modeling. Results showed that the profitability of rice farmers is decreasing since the implementation of RTL in the country. This happens because of a large supply of rice (imported) in the country which resulted in a decrease in farmers' produce rice marketability price. Meanwhile, the agricultural inputs during RTL are also high. The econometric model has revealed that there are only a few significant predictors of profitability in rice farming during the implementation of RTL such as leisure time (p-value=0.076), perception of government (Scale of 1 to 10; p-value<0.001), and farm assets (pvalue< 0.001). Conclusively, farmers must reduce their allotted time for unnecessary leisure activities and engage more in productive farming activities to increase economic profit amid the promulgated RTL. The results suggested that government support and development program is needed for the poor farmers' sustainability especially in rural areas to continue during the implementation of RTL. The local government must take an initiative to form farmers' associations and cooperatives to provide for farmers' needs and can access credit for farm inputs. Furthermore, the government must provide training and seminars for farmers concerning RTL to become aware and knowledgeable about the pros and cons of the policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]