65 publications from this institution
The present paper aims to determine the influence of EU member countries’ economic development on their citizens’ pro-environmental attitudes using a path analysis. In this sense, we have used the results of the 2012 survey on the „Attitudes of Europeans towards building the single market for green products”, as well as the 2012 statistical information referring to EU member countries’ economic development, provided by Eurostat. The results indicated which macroeconomic variables exert a significant influence on each pro-environmental attitudinal component. Future studies may consider using less macroeconomic variables in order to identify their influence on different pro-environmental attitudinal components.
Considering the fact that international consumers are being increasingly ecologically conscious, the present study aims to capture tourists’ intentions to support environmental initiatives in a Romanian mountain destination, namely Poiana Brasov. Using a quantitative research method, a total of 331 tourists have been interviewed in their accommodation location. The main variables of the research refer to the following issues: tourists’ interest in supporting environmental initiatives in the visited destination, the type of environmental initiatives they would participate in, the profile of the environmentally friendly tourists in Poiana Brasov and tourists’ interest in donating funds for conservation projects. The results of this study outline the necessity for a responsible management of both the destination and tourism services providers in Poiana Brasov, in order to meet tourists’ interest to participate in environmental initiatives.
Although tourist cards and cultural routes have been interesting innovations when they were launched on the international tourism market, they are rarely implemented in Romanian tourism destinations, especially in an integrated manner. This paper presents a theoretical model regarding the integration of tourist cards in cultural routes, based on the assumption that tourists who are interested in both products have similar demographic and travel characteristics. The research results outline only the infl uence of tourists’ travel characteristics on their interest to buy cultural routes and tourist cards. Leisure travelers should be the main targeted segment, as their probability to buy such products is higher than in the case of business or VFR (visit friends and relatives) tourists. These results can assist the Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) regarding the choice of marketing strategies aimed at integrating cultural routes in a tourist card.
Abstract This paper explores the role of social media platforms in promoting and preserving intangible heritage, a key element of local, regional, and national identity. Platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok enhance the visibility and appreciation of traditions, customs, and artistic expressions while encouraging their transmission to future generations. Through engaging and interactive content, we can capture the attention of young audiences and stimulate interest in local traditions and practices. The paper distinguishes between “intangible heritage,” which includes a wide range of community practices and traditions, and “intangible cultural heritage,” which refers explicitly to UNESCO-recognized heritage of universal value. In the digital age, adapting heritage promotion strategies to social media is crucial for engaging younger audiences. Given the cultural significance of intangible heritage and its growing role in promoting tourism, examining how it is conveyed through social networks is essential. This paper presents an exploratory case study of the Museum of Canvases and Stories in Mândra, Romania, focusing on using platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to promote intangible heritage, highlighting key strategies such as increasing visibility through multimedia content, stimulating participation with online contests and workshops, and preserving practices in digital formats. The case study aims to (i) identify the intangible heritage elements highlighted on social media and (ii) analyze the methods used by the museum to promote these elements across its social media channels employing a quantitative and thematic content analysis. The conclusion emphasizes that effectively leveraging social media is essential for preserving and transmitting intangible heritage and offers recommendations for maximizing its outreach and impact.
Monitoring satisfaction levels among visitors presents an important challenge in ecotourism destinations, as it can provide useful information for tourism planning and management. The purposes of this study are (i) to identify the attribute-level satisfaction factors in the context of four ecotourism destinations from Romania, (ii) to investigate whether segments with different purposes for visiting reported different levels of satisfaction, (iii) to examine if the analyzed ecotourism destinations recorded different levels of satisfaction, and (iv) to determine if the attribute-level satisfaction factors and visitors’ profiles influence the intention to revisit ecotourism destinations. The research data were collected using a survey among 1157 visitors in the analyzed destinations. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was computed and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted in order to determine whether significant differences in satisfaction existed across segments and across destinations. The research findings indicate three attribute-level satisfaction factors ((i) attractions and information services, (ii) amenities, (iii) conservation of natural and cultural heritage). Subsequent results revealed significant differences across visitor segments for two out of the three attribute-level satisfaction factors and across the four analyzed ecotourism destinations regarding all satisfaction factors. Furthermore, there were significant differences across visitor segments concerning the intention to revisit, however, influence of satisfaction factors on the intention to revisit the ecotourism destinations was found to be poor. The present study provides a contribution to the body of knowledge in ecotourism destination management and marketing by improving the understanding of relationships among visitors’ profile, satisfaction levels, and revisiting intention.
No abstract is provided for this article.
No abstract is provided for this article.
As the tourism marketplace is currently highly competitive, Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) need to have a thorough understanding of the actual perception of their destinations and even of the desired perception they should have to adequately implement measures to alter or maintain such images. In this context, the present chapter provides an overview of tourist destination image evaluation, from both a theoretical and empirical perspective. It outlines the role of conducting research in order to evaluate destination image as key strategic information which has to be provided to DMOs. The chapter provides a theoretical framework to destination image evaluation as well as a case study on the evaluation of a Romanian city's image as a tourist destination.
Tourism destination literature identifies place identity and place dependence as prominent dimensions of place attachment. Despite their importance, only limited research has been carried out to examine the likely influence of these constructs on satisfaction and loyalty in the context of an Eastern European post-communist country. Romanian coastal destinations were analyzed due to their high rate of domestic return visitors with possible connections to the fact that these were their only coastal tourism option during communist times. Our results reveal that place identity and place dependence for Black Sea coastal destinations significantly influence satisfaction and loyalty toward such destinations and that satisfaction has a significant mediating role between place attachment and loyalty intentions for these destinations. Findings also reveal that in the case of tourists with a low visitation frequency, satisfaction influences their intention to recommend the destination to other people. Our findings help Black Sea coastal destination marketers strengthen tourists' place attachment, satisfaction, and destination loyalty.
The present paper aims to determine the influence of EU member countries’ economic development on their citizens’ pro-environmental attitudes, using a Cluster Analysis, a Principal Components Analysis and a series of multiple regressions. In this sense, we have used the results of the 2012 survey on the „Attitudes of Europeans towards building the single market for green products”, as well as the 2012 statistical information referring to EU member countries’ economic development, provided by Eurostat. Using multiple regression analyses, we have outlined a significant influence of macroeconomic variables, such as: the employment rate, tertiary educational attainment, GDP per capita, human development index value, unemployment rate, share of gross value added in services and share of employment in services on European citizens’ pro-environmental attitudes.
Sport event tourism is a huge and growing global industry with important economic implications for both the sport, the event and the impact of travel and tourism related benefits on host destinations. A primary function of a sport event is to provide the host community with an opportunity to secure high prominence in the tourism market place. However, international or regional prominence may be gained with significant social and environmental costs. Hosting sport events has been a focus of destination marketers as a strategy to enhance its destination image and differentiate its tourism products. Communities are attracted to hosting sport events to draw marketing benefits that will contribute to the success of the destination in the long run by creating awareness, improving their image with visitors and attracting tourism business to generate future inbound travel. As such, destination images can be influenced by the hosting of a sport event and the attributes associated with this event. The purpose of this paper is to outline the role of sport event tourism in the promotion of tourist destinations. A case study has been chosen in order to illustrate the interdependence between event and destination marketing: Brasov, hosting the winter edition of The European Youth Olympic Festival in 2013. The paper includes a series of recommendations for destination managers in order to maximise the benefits of this event and take this opportunity to promote Brasov on the international market.
Social media can be used to raise awareness about health issues, especially concerning the importance of periodical screening. The present study aims to identify the role of social media awareness campaigns in the early detection of breast cancer, with a focus on Romania, a country with a high female mortality due to this disease. The research is performed using a survey, based on an online questionnaire, which was self-administered by the respondents included in two samples selected from a Facebook community of Romanian women. Sample A was composed of 1945 women who were not exposed to periodic campaigns regarding the importance of screening for the prevention and early detection of this type of disease, and Sample B was composed of 289 women who were exposed to such annual campaigns within the last 5 years. The results outline several differences among respondents from the two samples regarding their awareness of prevention necessity, as well as the frequency and chosen methods for breast cancer screening. The findings hold important implications for public authorities, which must intensify their efforts in raising women's awareness regarding the importance of screening for the early detection and prevention of breast cancer.
The present paper aims to investigate the factors which influence the adoption of environmentally friendly behaviors by the citizens of Brasov, as well as the means, resources and tools that local authority offers to residents in order to stimulate this behavior. In this sense, a qualitative research was conducted, using semi directive in-depth interviews, among 13 residents from the city of Brasov, Romania. The selection of the interviewed subjects was based on their involvement in environmentally friendly activities. The results outline several influence factors of the respondents’ environmentally friendly behaviors, such as: the level of environmental education, the awareness concerning environmental problems, the time required for the adoption of environmentally friendly activities, the standard of living in Romania, development of specific local infrastructure, the institutional and legislative framework on environmental protection, the comfort and willingness to conform to group norms. Thus, the involvement of individuals in environmentally friendly activities should be based on the judicious combination of all factors that influence the adoption of such behavior.
