Vol. I, no. 1/2010

Why do we Need the Tourism Journal CACTUS or an Argument for the Tourism Journal CACTUS?

By Gabriela Țigu

Sustainable Development in Metropolitan Areas

By Rodica Elena Minciu, Delia Popescu, Ana Mihaela Pădurean

The economic and social development process involves a balance between the existing resources and their careful use. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt some coherent and unitary programs for the unitary development of the entire area. A sustainable approach for the growth of the welfare in the metropolitan areas will require an integrated action, on an economic and social level for environment and space. The evaluation of the sustainable development in metropolitan areas, in the DEMOS project has been carried out with the help of a series of indicators specific for this area, as for example: landscape, natural resources, the evolution of the population, the development of the housing sector, education, sanitary system and so on.

Socio-Economic and Ecological Indicators of the Metropolitan Area of Bucharest

By Gabriela Ţigu, Olimpia State, Delia Popescu

The metropolitan area is defined as an association on the basis of a voluntary partnership between urban and rural localities, where collaboration relations are established at different levels. The level of influence of the metropolitan area is established depending on the territory it organizes as a regional, national or international metropolis. As a result of the researches carried out, (inclusively in the DEMOS project) the Metropolitan Area of Bucharest (MAB) may include 61 administrative units within a radius of 50 km around the capital. In comparison to other capitals and metropolitan areas from Central and Eastern Europe (Berlin, Budapest, Prague, Warsaw), Bucharest occupies the fifth rank in terms of number of population and square kilometres, but it is ranking the first in terms of density (inhabitants/square kilometre), with 1266 inhabitants/ sq. km, in comparison to the second ranking city – Warsaw – having only 638 inhabitants/sq. km. This fact makes a strong argument for developing a metropolitan area in Bucharest.

Commercial Services in Metropolitan Areas

By Claudia Elena Ţuclea, Mihai Felea, Mădălina Ţală

A major advantage for the metropolitan areas is the establishment of a coherent commercial system. Therefore, in Romania there are more than 100.000 shops, our country being a leader in Europe in what the number of shops per thousand inhabitants is concerned. Presently, in our country there are different ways of selling the products: in supermarkets, hypermarkets, cash&carry, malls, specialised centres and so on. More and more well known companies are interested in the potential of the markets from the Romanian metropolitan areas. This paper analyses the Romanian commerce and the large chain stores which invest in our country. Our present research is a part of the DEMOS project.

Creating Identities and Promoting the Image of the Metropolitan Areas

By Irina Mărunţelu

Urban marketing is an essential element for the strategies of economic development of cities, in the context of the intensification of competition among urban communities. The creation of identity and the promotion of town image, which are activities of the operative marketing mix, are elements contributing to the creation of a town’s brand and this represents one of the grounds for obtaining the success of the development strategy from the marketing perspective. The management of urban marketing can only hope that the actual image will be created according to the desired and conveyed town identity. The aim of the present work is to evaluate and the present the method employed for the procedures of urban marketing to become efficient instruments of local economic development. The work brings to discussion the success of urban marketing practice which enhances the attractiveness and the value of a town, with a stress on the creation of the identity and the promotion of the image of urban communities. It also presents elements which individualize the application of urban marketing in municipalities on the European territory.

Standard of Life – Premise and Consequence of the Development of the Iasi Metropolitan Area

By Viorica Ionaşcu, Monica Neacşu, Diana Coconoiu

The Metropolitan area Iasi is an important area of development in Romania. To characterize the main elements of standard of life were used synthetic indicators in the area, in the constituent settlements, but also in the county of Iasi. In terms of total area, Iasi County is ranked 23rd in the hierarchy of the country, but it is 2nd in terms of total population (1st July 2006), 7th in terms of population of cities and towns, 1st in terms of natural growth, 18th in terms to net nominal average income, but 23rd by the gross domestic product per capita. These indicators point out the development potential of the area and consist of the synthesis of the amount of information discussed and analysed in this paper.

Ile-de-France-Metropolitan Area European Model

By Andreea Baltaretu

Metropolitan France is a term which designated the European part of the French state. In the European Union treaties the judicial term which is used is the French territory located in Europe. The metropolitan area Île-de-France is placed in the Central-Northern part of the country including Paris, the small ring and the large ring. From the point of view of the population, Île-de-France contains almost 20% of the total number of population from metropolitan France. It is the third most populous country subdivision in the European Union after North Rhine Westphalia and Bavaria from Germany. One can say that the region Île-de-France is one of the engines of the international economy and its GDP is higher than the GDP from important countries like Brazil or Russia. Île-de-France was created in 1976 when it replaces the District of the Paris Region, created in 1962. The infrastructure of the metropolitan area Île-de-France is presently suffocated by the car flow, residents and tourists and therefore some immediate measures need to be taken in order to improve the daily traffic. From the 2 357 hotels from Île-de-France, more than 63% are in the capital. Paris and the peripheral communes have similar objectives in what the infrastructure and the travel management is concerned: the reduction of the pressure of the vehicles, the promotion and the development of the common transport and of the light means of transport, the management of the stations according to these objectives. One needs a high coordination between the numerous actors involved because there are some disparities between the time and the way of putting these aspects into practice.

The Handbook of Service Industries

Articles/Studies

PhD THESIS AND THEIR RESEARCH RESULTS

Religion - A Continuous Challenge to Romanian Tourism