THE LOCALS’ OPINIONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN RODNA COMMUNE

This study refers to sustainability, a much debated concept at global level. Because of the high levels of pollution and limited resources, sustainability has become an international goal. Furthermore, one of the engines for development in emerging economies is, of course, the tourism industry, which is also Romania’s case. Combining these two elements, the authors find that sustainable tourism development is both a long-term goal and a dynamic concept. This concept is represented by three pillars: growing the local economy, protecting and promoting the cultural heritage, and increasing the social well-being. The present paper consists of a case study that focuses on Rodna commune, a beautiful Transylvanian rural settlement, located in Bistrița-Năsăud County. The research methods used are secondary data analysis (based on the study of different statistics, guides, and specialized sites), comparisons, analogies and syntheses, primary qualitative research (based on face-to-face interviews with the locals), and induction and deduction methods, which all aim at identifying: the current position of Rodna commune from the socio-economic point of view, the locals’ opinion related to the sustainable development of the destination’s tourism industry, and also the ways in which this objective can be achieved. The subjects interviewed were selected in order to relevantly cover most of the local population: honor citizens, teachers, priests, doctors and students, each of them representing stakeholders in the development of the tourism industry. The research results show that the locals are aware of the strong connection between the development of tourism and the economic well-being of the commune, they helped identifying the major problems that need to be addressed and solved in order for this process to be efficient but also the fact that they are not yet aware of their role and do not acknowledge the ways in which they can make a difference for themselves and for the commune. The conclusions reveal the current situation of Rodna commune from the subjects’ points of view and their proposals for achieving better living standards. Also, the interviews show the lack of implication caused by the fact that the subjects are neither aware of their stakes, nor of their possibilities to help developing the local tourism. JEL Classification: L83, Q01, Z32

UPSCALE AND LUXURY HOTELS IN ROMANIA FACING DIGITAL ADVOCACY: SUCCESS OR FAILURE?

Digital marketing is rapidly changing the current state of the hospitality industry, starting from how services and information are provided, communication and interaction with the customer is done, to the incentives that persuade customers to purchase. These challenges could not have been foreseen at the beginning of the Millennium. Not only the concept ‘digital marketing’ became commonplace but businesses that implemented digital strategies have become highly sought after by customers and praised by the media. This paper aims at analyzing the digital means and information tools used by 4 and 5-star hotels in Romania to promote themselves online, as they are supposed to have the financial funds to be early adopters of technology, how the customers actually see these hospitality businesses and the hotels’ online presence and activity impact on their prevailed rates. JEL Classification: L83, Q01, Z32

LA ROUMANIE, PEUT-ELLE ÊTRE UNE DESTINATION ATTRACTIVE POUR LES ENTREPRENEURS FRANÇAIS ?

Could Romania be an attractive destination for French entrepreneurs? Today, most companies struggle to identify new partners, new places and new markets for their current and future projects. Despite the extremely painful past during the communist era and over the prolonged transition years, Romania faces its future with optimism. Once the difficult period after the 2008 crisis had come to an end, Romania started а new economic growth, with substantial foreign investment. This development was mainly due to the tertiary sector of the national economy and to the international support provided by institutions such as the European Commission (EC), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), combined with an ambitious adjustment program. Romania has understood that international relations play a crucial role in a country’s development. Consequently, the state’s goal has become that of developing and maintaining good political and economic relations with various states, all over the world. From a geographical point of view, the country is a gate to the East for the European Union (EU) and to the West for the Oriental states. Rоmаniа presents а real untapped potential and а great number of benefits, aimed at attracting new investors. The domestic market, the geographic position, the geopolitical stability or the youth, as an asset, combine with many opportunities in various economic sectors, providing investors with genuine reasons to take Romania into consideration, when thinking about new phases of internationalization. The attractiveness of the country as a destination for French investors and entrepreneurs is a widely recognized fact. Factors such as the labor cost, the fiscal policies, the cultural similarities or the sharing of Francophone values have already brought major French players (Dacia-Renault, Michelin, Grоupe Sоciété Générаl BRD, Lafarge, Cora, Carrefour or Accor) on the local market and many French investments. In this context, the present paper aims at identifying those elements that determine the attractiveness of this market for French entrepreneurs. An interview-based research has been conducted among the members of the CCIFER (Chambre Française de Commerce et d’Industrie en Roumanie). JEL Classification: L8

REGIONAL PLANNING FOR RODNA AS A TOURIST DESTINATION

This paper continues previous researches dedicated to highlighting the importance of planning from a managerial point of view and to discussing the regional dimension of planning, to which it adds up the current topic, that of rural tourism planning – features, particularities, approaches, multi-functionality of land use, collaboration and partnerships, negative planning, green economy, and case-studies. Bearing the theory in mind, a radiography of Rodna commune was briefly made, taking into consideration the following aspects: economy, locals, tourist flows, accommodation, tourists’ profile, food services, accessibility and transportation, travel agents, attractions and heritage, types of tourism, IT & C, sustainability, and traditions. The reason for the description of the commune is to properly understand the context and the particularities of the analyzed destination. Further, the steps of regional planning are revealed, and each of them is separately discussed and analyzed, from both a theoretical and a practical point of view. The outcome is a strategy the community can adopt, with a vision, three directions, and several SMART objectives. This strategy is reflected in a document that aims to engage each stakeholder in the process, as well as to establish in a clear, comprehensive way the common framework. Also, there are several proposals for every community and destination that understands the importance of planning and its implications: collaboration, win-win approach, partnerships, the involvement of the community, sustainability in every dimension, and so on. JEL Classification: L83, Q01, Z32

TOURIST INNS ON ROMANIA’S MODERN TOURISM MARKET

The present paper investigates a less debated topic of the accommodation sector: the presence of tourist inns on the Romanian market. More than 20 years ago, authorities decided to exclude tourist inns from the official classification system. Relying on both official data, collected and processed based on the List of Accommodation Facilities (Lodgings and Food-service units) elaborated by the National Authority for Tourism, and on the information available on specialized websites (e.g. Booking.com) a thorough analysis has been performed in order to identify all structures that function on the local market pretending to be inns. The identified structures have been categorized and discussed according to various criteria: name of the hospitality unit, name of the enterprise that owns/runs the inn, type of unit, level of classification, lodging capacity; localization. The undertaken research and analyses led to the identification of 288 accommodation and/or food-service structures matching one or more criteria that link them to inns. One of the main findings establishes that inmania’s modern tourism industry there is a fully justified need to grant a special attention to inns. Further investigations have already been initiated in this field, continuing the current study

The Impact of European Funds Upon the Tourism Development in Macroregion One from Romania

The present research paper comprises a review of the financing tools that were accessed both by the public administrations and by private enterprises from Macroregion One in Romania for tourism related activities. The authors’ attempt is to measure their efficiency by means of the tourist flows in the visited destinations. In its first part, our case study presents the current situation and the research methodology, while the last and most consistent part of the paper comprises the results obtained and discusses their implications and consequences. The last part of the paper highlights the conclusions that may be drawn given the findings of the undertaken research and analyses.</p

Electrochemical L-Tyrosine Sensor Based on a Glassy Carbon Electrode Modified with Exfoliated Graphene

In this study, a graphene sample (EGr) was synthesized by electrochemical exfoliation of graphite rods in electrolyte solution containing 0.1 M ammonia and 0.1 M ammonium thiocyanate. The morphology of the powder deposited onto a solid substrate was investigated by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique. The SEM micrographs evidenced large and smooth areas corresponding to the basal plane of graphene as well as white lines (edges) where graphene layers fold-up. The high porosity of the material brings a major advantage, such as the increase of the active area of the modified electrode (EGr/GC) in comparison with that of bare glassy carbon (GC). The graphene modified electrode was successfully tested for L-tyrosine detection and the results were compared with those of bare GC. For EGr/GC, the oxidation peak of L-tyrosine had high intensity (1.69 &times; 10&minus;5 A) and appeared at lower potential (+0.64 V) comparing with that of bare GC (+0.84 V). In addition, the graphene-modified electrode had a considerably larger sensitivity (0.0124 A/M) and lower detection limit (1.81 &times; 10&minus;6 M), proving the advantages of employing graphene in electrochemical sensing

The impact of entrepreneurial education and educational attainment on entrepreneurial activity: evidence from selected high-income economies

Entrepreneurship has become an important tool for job creation, economic growth, improvements in productivity and production, and innovation. Therefore, key country and individual-level factors driving entrepreneurship have been explored in the related literature. Furthermore, entrepreneurial education has been extensively scheduled in primary, secondary, and tertiary education programs by many countries. This study explores the impact of entrepreneurial education at primary and secondary education levels, higher education levels, and general education levels on early-stage entrepreneurial activity in selected high-income countries over the period of 2003 to 2018, through panel cointegration and causality analyses. Causality analysis revealed that entrepreneurial education and general education had a significant impact on earlystage entrepreneurial activity in the short run. The cointegration analysis disclosed that both entrepreneurial education at basic and higher education levels, respectively general education level positively affected the early-stage entrepreneurial activity in the long run

Antibacterial Enhancement of High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters Modified with Graphene-Silver Hybrid Material

Bacterial infections are a major concern as antibiotic resistance poses a great threat, therefore leading to a race against time into finding new drugs or improving the existing resources. Nanomaterials with high surface area and bactericidal properties are the most promising ones that help combating microbial infections. In our case, graphene decorated with silver nanoparticles Gr-Ag (5 wt% Ag) exhibited inhibitory capacity against S. aureus and E. coli. The newly formed hybrid material was next incubated with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, to obtain one with bactericidal properties. The modified filter had greater inhibitory action against the tested strains, compared to the control, and the effect was better against the Gram-negative model. Even if the bacteria remained attached to the filters, their colony forming unit capacity was affected by the Gr-Ag (5 wt% Ag) hybrid material, when they were subsequently re-cultured on fresh agar media. Therefore, the HEPA filter modified with Gr-Ag (5 wt% Ag) has high antibacterial properties that may substantially improve the existing technology