Considerations regarding the profile of tourists from Baile Felix - Baile 1 Mai Spa Destination, Romania

Background: Amid the exponential development of the tourist industry in general and spa tourism in particular that characterises the beginning of the century, the knowledge of tourists' perception regarding the destination image is of utmost importance in order to enhance competitiveness. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to investigate the perception of tourists from Baile Felix - Baile 1 Mai (Romania) about this spa area, in order to establish the profile of the tourist interested in this destination. Material and methods: Data was collected by applying a questionnaire (face-to-face technique), structured on eleven questions regarding the degree of knowledge of the destination, the habits of tourist consumption and the perception of the quality-price ratio according to tourist consumption. Results: Research results indicate a high degree of satisfaction among tourists regarding the destination. They declare themselves satisfied with most services and this determines their quite frequent return and spending an extended period of time at the destination. Conclusions: As a result, due to the qualitative and quantitative services and tourists' positive perception, Baile Felix - Baile 1 Mai area is one of the most significant spa tourist destinations in Romania.Bihor Destination Management Agenc

The Analysis of the Ski Slopes and the Degree of Economic Dependence Induced by Winter Sports Tourism. The Case of Romania

Winter sports are the main attraction for many tourist areas in Romania, contributing significantly to the development of local economies. Based on this, the study aims to analyze the ski areas in Romania, as well as the extent to which they contribute to the sustainable development of the local economy. This is particularly important as, in recent decades, climate change has significantly affected winter sports, especially skiing. Thus, an analysis of the physical characteristics of ski runs in Romania (number, length, width, level difference and slope) is accompanied with an analysis on the dynamics of the share of tourism in the local economy of winter sport locations, based on tourism turnover relative to total turnover in the local economy. Both graphic and cartographic methods were used in this study, based on an analysis of quantitative and qualitative data available for ski slopes in Romania and the host localities. We used ArcGIS 10.6 software for the preparation of graphical representations and other software to process large databases. The research results showed a great diversity regarding counties, localities and ski slopes depending on the characteristic features of ski slopes (number, length, width, level difference and slope). In our study, the evolution of the share of turnover in tourism in terms of total turnover presented several categories of localities based on their economic dependence on winter sports; the impact in this regard was found to be very differentiated between localities

New Insights into Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus in Colombia from Whole-Genome Analysis

Infectious Bronchitis (IB) is a respiratory disease caused by a highly variable Gammacoronavirus, which generates a negative impact on poultry health worldwide. GI-11 and GI-16 lineages have been identified in South America based on Infectious Bronchitis virus (IBV) partial S1 sequences. However, full genome sequence information is limited. In this study we report, for the first time, the whole-genome sequence of IBV from Colombia. Seven IBV isolates obtained during 2012 and 2013 from farms with respiratory disease compatible with IB were selected and the complete genome sequence was obtained by NGS. According to S1 sequence phylogenetic analysis, six isolates belong to lineage GI-1 and one to lineage GVI-1. When whole genome was analyzed, five isolates were related to the vaccine strain Ma5 2016 and two showed mosaic genomes. Results from complete S1 sequence analysis provides further support for the hypothesis that GVI-1, considered a geographically confined lineage in Asia, could have originated in Colombia. Complete genome information reported in this research allow a deeper understanding of the phylogenetic evolution of variants and the recombination events between strains that are circulating worldwide, contributing to the knowledge of coronavirus in Latin America and the world