Vol. 3, no. 2/2021

FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND TOURISM – 70

By Nicolae Lupu

The Perception of Romanian Tourists on the Attractiveness of the Industrial Heritage. Case Study: Municipality Of Cluj-Napoca

By Florentina-Cristina Merciu, Ana Valeria Stoican, Alexandru-Ionuţ Petrişor, Ana-Maria Vasiloiu

The radical changes generated by the process of industrial restructuring and accelerated urban development have brought to the center of attention the industrial heritage as a valuable cultural resource, but at the same time vulnerable. Regeneration projects focused on the adaptive reuse of industrial heritage elements take many forms, from economic, residential to cultural conversions, the latter being correlated with the use of industrial buildings as tourist attractions. The purpose of this study is to identify the interest of Romanian tourists to practice industrial tourism, based on assessing the degree of knowledge and their desire to visit industrial monuments. For this purpose, an online questionnaire was applied, the results of which were statistically interpreted using the Covariance Analysis (ANACOVA). The main results of the study reflect the fact that there is a low share of Romanian tourists who know the significance of the concept of industrial heritage and who consider it attractive. Selecting 5 representative industrial buildings for the Municipality of Cluj-Napoca selected as a case study, only a third of the respondents stated that they know them. However, there is a relatively high interest of respondents to visit industrial monuments, mentioning as main motivations: the age of the buildings, the specific architecture, and curiosity or even form of reuse of industrial monuments. Almost half of the respondents stated that they would introduce industrial buildings in their travel itineraries if they were better promoted. The main conclusion of the study is that industrial tourism is not sufficiently promoted at national level.

Are Romanian Tourism Companies Prepared For Digital Transformation? A Research Study In Timis County

By Marioara Musteață-Pavel, Camelia Surugiu, Cristina Lixăndroiu

Information and Communication Technology — ICT (i.e., computers and laptops, tablets, mobile phones, smartphones, software, audio-visual systems, wireless, VOIP, GIS, GPS, mobile app, analytical tools, augmented reality systems, holograms, virtual reality technologies) and ˗ mainly ˗ online information sources (multiplatform web pages, search engines, social media platforms) have changed how distribution, selling and consumption processes work. This also involved a revolution in how travel-related information is searched. Digital technologies have brought significant transformations to the tourism industry, significantly changing tourism business, products and destinations. The increase of digital platforms stimulated the variety and volume of tourism products, services and experiences. Nowadays, digital technologies are used as marketing tools by tourism companies, in order to boost efficiency and increase communication and awareness among visitors. The expansion of the Internet has supported the productivity of tourism-related applications and generated an opportunity for businesses to expand and attract more customers. Digitalization has changed the way tourist services are provided because customer expectations converge towards more digital solutions and tools. The present paper aims to investigate the online communication channels used by tourism organizations to promote businesses, products and services. The research was conducted in Timiș County, Romania, as a pilot study. The findings of the present paper provide valuable information regarding the limitation of digital marketing tools used by tourism companies and how to capitalize them as a strategic tool.

Online Economics Higher Education During Covid-19, A Case Study Approach: The Bucharest University Of Economic Studies, The Faculty Of Business And Tourism

By Luciana-Floriana Holostencu, Maria-Cristina Iorgulescu, Mădălina-Lavinia Ţală, Mădălina-Ionela Iordache, Ileana Vălimăreanu (Mircioi), Poida Georgiana Crina

From what in March 2020 seemed as a simple health issue, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a global crisis with a huge social, economic and educational impact. As a result, many countries that were not prepared for such a situation, in terms of infrastructure, had to abruptly adapt with the resources they had to their disposal at that time. For example, in Romania, most schools and universities moved their classes online via different online platforms, but students from rural areas were not able to attend school at all. The present study aims to evaluate students’ perceptions and difficulties regarding online (blended) learning compared to traditional classroom attendance with a main focus on the difficulties encountered in the process of learning economic subjects. We performed a quantitative research by implementing an online questionnaire which was sent out by the end of the second semester of 2020 – 2021 school year. The respondents were freshmen from The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, The Faculty of Business and Tourism, enrolled in October 2020. Being aware that the quality of their learning might be affected via blended learning, all these respondents agreed to take part into various optional activities provided by the means of the Secondary Education Project – ROSE BT. Therefore, the current study might offer an useful insight into difficulties encountered by these students and solutions provided by both teachers and the university as an institution interested into facilitating the online education process. Moreover, the results will show possible factors that may determine difficulties into understanding various economic subjects and students’ own motion for improving their situation.

The Impact Of Digitalization And ERP Systems On The Sustainable Development Of The Organization

By Laura-Eugenia-Lavinia Barna

There is a very strong relationship between the concept of digitalization and the concept of sustainable development, because the more automated the processes within the organization, the lower inefficient consumption of resources and the negative impact on the environment are. Given the characteristics of accounting information systems, organizations have come to the conclusion that ERP systems are the most appropriate system to ensure the digitization of processes and sustainable development of the organization. Under such perspectives, the paper employs an empirical direction comprising a questionnaire, analyzed with the aid of Microsoft Excel where the sensitivity model was developed. The results show that ERP systems have a favorable impact on the sustainable development of the organization, given the large volume of data that can be processed with these information systems and through which resource consumption is significantly lower. Thus, based on the processed information, managers make very important decisions for the continuity of the organization's activity.

Guidelines For The Gastronomy Of Dobrogea, Foundation For The Development Of The Local Gastronomic Tourism

By Laetitia Casangiu Siea

In the present study we analyse aspects related to the culinary side of the region of Dobrogea (Romania). The main research methods for the present article were the comparative study of specialized literature, with coverage of the main publications dedicated to the chosen topic, and the survey done through a questionnaire, launched with the purpose of checking the level of knowledge of the gastronomy of Dobrogea among the consumers and to identify its characteristic elements in order to consider it as vector for the local gastronomic tourism. The results of our research have highlighted the fact that customers give a high importance to the culinary aspect when choosing a holiday destination, and that the local Dobrogean dishes, wines, desserts and the quality products which have received recognition at a European level are not sufficiently known by the general public. This fact is due, on one side, to the insufficient information given about the geographical origin of the products during the marketing and sale phase and, on the other side, to a general lack in promotion for Dobrogean products, especially in other regions of Romania and abroad.

Destination Management Organizations: A Systematization Of Recent Literature With A Focus On New Research Trends

By Adina Andra Triandafil, Alexandra Cristina Dinu, Florina Puie (Răzvanță), Ana Șerbănescu

Although the notion of destination management organization remains a particularly prolific and attractive concept, being extensively addressed in the last 20 years, there is no consensus at an academic level on how it can be operationalized. Much less empirically, little attempts have been developed in order to attain comprehensive ways of optimizing the activity of such organizations. The tendency for this concept to be associated with destination brand management is not necessarily representative, and by no means exhaustive. The present paper aims to highlight a series of definitions in this regard in the first part, following that in practice, to carry out a meta-analysis of recent literature, in order to identify the areas where Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) can be developed. Thus, we consider the exploration of different DMOs' analyses, within the Scopus (Elsevier) and Springer international databases which have published research in this regard in the past 2 years (2020-2021).

Digital Certificate - Opportunity Or Barrier In The Restaurant Activity? Young People's Opinion On The Feeling Of Health Safety In Public Eating Places

By Vlad Diaconescu, Daniela-Elena Popescu

Following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, several measures have been taken, in the hope of protecting human health and maintaining the economy and various industries at a functional level. One such measure was the introduction of the Covid-19 digital certificate for access to restaurants. This study aims to find out the opinion of young people about the feeling of health safety in public food establishments, as well as the opinion about the opportunity or barrier that arises from the use of the Covid-19 certificate. For this purpose, an online survey was conducted between October 14 and 20, 2021. For this study, university students and high school students were surveyed, the data being collected from 102 respondents, through a self-administered online questionnaire. The main objectives were to find out the level of knowledge of the Covid-19 digital certificate concept among young people, the feeling of health safety that the certificate generates among young people and the opinion about the opportunity or barrier that comes with its implementation. The results showed that all young people know the concept, but mainly tend to consider that the usage of the certificate doesn`t generate an environment with an increased health safety in the restaurant or do not have an idea yet formed on this subject. More than two-thirds of the young people surveyed consider the certificate to be more of a barrier than an opportunity for the restaurant activity. At the same time, it turned out that girls are more skeptical than boys about the impact on health safety generated by the implementation of the certificate. The main limitation of this study is that the sample was small and unrepresentative, but nevertheless some interesting results were obtained.

The Competitive Advantage of SPA Services in Romania

By Rozalia Isidor, Elza Kren

This paper aims at studying Spa services in Romania, how they differ from other relaxation services offered on the market and how they can gain advantage over the competition. Is focusing on a segment of active, wellness conscious clients who follow a healthy diet, take care of both their physical and mental health and are aware of the benefits of a visit to a Spa. Attracting such educated and demanding clients who have above-average incomes and actively promoting quality Spa services would maintain the competitive advantage of Spas over other forms of relaxation on the market. The methodology used for this analysis is the quantitative research method and the research technique is the survey. The results indicate that 86% of the people who responded to the questionnaire noted that they felt better overall after their visit to a Spa. The results obtained are in line with the issues analysed in the specialized literature.

Toward Conceptualization Of An Emergent Form: Exotourism

By Marius-Cristian Neacșu

This study represents an exploratory research, which aims to create an incipient theoretical framework for conceptualizing a new notion, namely that of exotourism. The new cosmic competition, which is different from the one during the Cold War, through its commercial and private character, generated a phenomenology associated with a new form of tourism, respectively trips for recreational purposes in the space, with private character, for which we propose the term ‘exotourism’. Thus, as objectives of this exploratory research we mention: testing a working definition, critical analysis of terminology and identifying the essential characteristics of exotourism, which would give scientific legitimacy to exotourism, as well as the emerging concept.