Vol. XIV, no. 2/2016

The Summer School “Territorial Intelligence for Sustainable Development” in The Hateg Country Dinosaurs Geopark

By Adrian Lucian Kanovici

Innovative Ways of Valuing Natural Spa Resources in Romania by Means of Tourist Services

By Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei, Puiu Nistoreanu

Development Directions for the Local Recreational Services Sector in Romania

By Ana-Maria Sava, Maria Ioncică

Evolving Tourist Behaviour at Sport Events?

By Tünde Gál

The general objective of the current paper is to study consumer behaviour in a relationship with sustainability principles, as in recent decades, tourism industry has rapidly developed and brought various impacts to the nations and destinations. The specific objective of the current research is to investigate the consumer behaviour at sport events, to provide a deeper understanding of the behaviour of tourists engaging in sport events, such as motivation, expectations, underlying reasons for choices and decision making, what do they seek from their experience, what is their spending willingness during these events, and in what matter are they behaving according to the sustainability principles. The research methodology was based on field research, by collecting data through questionnaires and interviews from sport tourists to find out why individuals engage in sport events. Results indicate the typology of sport tourists based on socio-economic status, motivation and expectations. Sport tourism is an important part of both sport and tourism business generating large revenues and reshaping local communities and can stand as a basis for effective marketing to generate added value on tourism product development, but in the same time there is a high need for education about sustainability and environmental awareness on all levels in order to obtain a positive evolution of behaviour regarding sustainability in general and especially at sport events.

Impact of Nation Branding Campaigns on Country Image: Germany vs. Brazil

By Anca-Georgiana Andrei

The purpose of this paper is to show how a successful nation brand campaign can influence the image of a country and to highlight its positive impact on different areas such as tourism or foreign investments. Two nation branding campaigns, implemented one in Germany and one in Brazil, during FIFA World Cup, 2006 and 2014, were examined in comparison in order to write out the necessary conclusions which support the hypothesis above. The study also proposes to demonstrate that Blue Ocean Strategy was used with success in Germany’s nation branding campaign.

Changes of Tourists’ Motivations and Preferences towards Health Tourism Services. Case Study: The Potential Tourism Cluster Moineşti-Târgu Ocna-Slănic Moldova

By George Găman

In the context in which society is evolving at a high speed and lifestyle is becoming increasingly stressful, the tourist, respectively patient-tourist motivations and preferences meet changes also. In these conditions, health resorts are forced to fold on the actual situation and to adjust their tourist offer for meeting the customer’s needs and for keeping, at least, the number of tourist arrivals. The actual paper tried to ensure if the motivations and preferences of Romanian modern patient-tourist correspond with the conclusions of global trend described in specialized literature, through survey amongst residents of Moineşti municipality, Târgu Ocna and Slănic Moldova health resorts. According to the specialized literature, the modern tourist is well informed, he has a higher level of knowledge, he is looking for an active and sprinkled stay with unique and complex activities. The results highlighted several similarities and differences between specialized literature and the present study, showing that Romania’s situation does not entirely correspond with the global trend.

Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility

By Abbass Issa

Corporate governance along with social responsibility represent a major point of interest for most shareholders and stakeholders, as it is desirable for any investor or organization to implement mechanisms that are able to ensure a proper control of a company’s operating framework. It would be ideal for the business environment in every country to adopt and respect policies which lead to a reliable and secure employment, a minimization of risks, a maximization of incentives, as well as protected communities and a preserved environment. Corporate governance and social responsibility form an area that includes various concepts, but based on information gathered, we may reveal that the compliance with certain rules and regulations can generate higher welfare and prosperity. We managed to analyze the interrelationship between the two notions, definitions, the factors that linked them, and some important issues that appear when integrating social responsibility into corporate governance, meaning behavioral norms and industry impacts, economic environment, regulation, and responsible decisions. For a full comprehensive picture, further reading is required.

Generation Y’s Work Values and Their Impact on the Hospitality Industry

By Alina Ioana Mihaela Ţăpescu (Stoian), Maria-Cristina Iorgulescu

In the current business environment, it is considered natural to see people from different generations working together. As it seems to be widely accepted that each generation has its own attributes that reflect in a unique manner on the way work is perceived, managers are being confronted with new challenges in managing human resources. As a result, the paper underlines the main differences between the three currently active generations on the labor market (Baby Boomers, generation X and generation Y) and their implications on the workplace. The main purpose of the article is to present bachelors’ of business administration perceptions of the factors considered important for an ideal workplace and whether the hospitality and tourism industry is able to offer these factors. Consequently, the paper brings forward an exploratory research, conducted using a questionnaire-based survey on 2015 bachelor graduates at the Faculty of Business and Tourism (Bucharest University of Economic Studies): out of the 320 students who have been enrolled in the senior year (2014-2015 academic year), 237 graduates completed the questionnaire. The results of the survey indicate that generation Y members’ most valued workplace characteristics are having promotion possibilities, working with people who cooperate effectively, having free time for personal life and having the opportunity of receiving high salary increases, as they advance in their career. These findings are compared to the conclusions of previous studies presented in the literature developed on this subject. The results of the study are relevant for the tourism industry as they reflect the needs and expectations of generation Y, therefore enabling managers to develop new human resources practices in order to attract and retain young graduates and determine them to become loyal, engaged employees. Considering the limitations of the research, the theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Erasmus Programme Instruments for Enriching Young People’s Horizon

By Georgică Gheorghe

When economic crisis was raging through Europe, a social class was the most affected, in comparison with the others, that social class being represented by young people from all over Europe. That moment was the starting point in seeking for a solution to counteract the effects of this crisis among this social class. The solution found by the European Commission is represented by Erasmus + programme which has as main objectives: reduction of youth unemployment, increasing international experiences of young people, encouraging the cooperation between the research and educational institutions, encouraging volunteering, increasing the integration among the Member States of the European Union as well as with associated countries of the European Union. Erasmus will celebrate the 30 years’ anniversary of its opening, being one of the most successful programs ever undertaken at European Union level. By 2020 it is estimated that over 6 million young students will have benefited from the financial support for carrying out an international mobility. In this context, the following problems arise: Erasmus program is perfect or needs improvements, it truly contributes to the personal development of the participants in the project and if the money are allocated efficiently. These were some of the issues that I had in mind when I started this research.

Research Models, Education and Dissemination of the Best Practices Applied in the Activity of Domestic and International Tour Operators

By Gabriela Cecilia Stănciulescu, Tünde Gál, Casiana Răduţ

The aim of the research is an exploratory analysis about the best practices of the domestic and international tour operators. The methodology is analytical, consists of research on product development, marketing strategies, marketing campaigns, consumer relationship of the domestic and international tour-operators. The main requirement of marketing activities is to respond to customers’ needs, balanced against the growing requirement of organizations to make the most sustainable as well as the most profitable use of existing assets and to achieve integration of management functions around customer-orientated objectives that respect sustainable goals. But marketing techniques are always essential inputs to specifying revenue-earning objectives that are precise, realistic, achievable and measurable in the markets or audiences in which an organization operates (Middleton et al., 2009). A tour operator must decide whether to concentrate on selling its brands to those who are already looking for a holiday or to try to expand the market by persuading others that they could indeed afford a holiday. The results of this study indicate that the active role should include a focus on tourism's distribution channels (Gartner and Bachri, 2010). The key elements in any marketing system are the attitudes and thought processes of the two parties – buyers and sellers in an exchange process. It should be noted that there is no natural or automatic harmony between what consumers want and will pay for and what producers are able or willing to provide. In practice there is usually continuing tension between a producer’s need for profit, the need to operate efficiently and sustainably with available assets and resources, and the customer’s search for low cost, best available value and satisfaction in the experiences they seek.

Consumers' Price Fairness Perceptions on Hotel Services: Insights into Romanian Market

By Diana Maria Vrânceanu, Claudia Elena Țuclea