STUDY ABOUT THE ROMANIAN HIGHER EDUCATION GRADUATE’S PERCEPTION OVER THE QUALITY OF THIS PROCESS

Based on the results from this study our conclusions refer to the following ideas: The economic degree still is the first choice for enrollment in the higher education. Students believe that a diploma achieved in a economic faculty could help them in finding a good job. The competition in labor force market increasing and give advantages to employers in attracting good capacities and knowledge. Students believe that a work experience along the period of higher education process could be a good start for being employed. The most important weaknesses identified by graduates are: tools and methods of teaching process and the content of textbooks or study materials. The students appreciate as important for higher education system the novelty of the knowledge share in the process and the practical characteristics of the its. The graduates are satisfied by the novelty level of the knowledge and information share but the examination model and practical characteristics seems to be inappropriate. In conclusion the Romanian higher education has to apply the reform started in this sector not only with regulation and curricula changes but also with the opportunities offer to the staff in order to become professionals in teaching and forming activities. This could improve the quality of the education process because the general attitude of people is to place in the center of the educational systems, responsible for the good performance of the students, the professor.higher education, globalization, perception, employment market, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Labor and Human Capital,

Tourist Information Centre in Cluj-Napoca, Romania

This paper intend to present the authors’ point of view regarding the creation of a tourist information centre in the home town, Cluj-Napoca. The present situation regarding the tourist information centres at Romania’s level could and should be improved and Cluj-Napoca is among those cities which need such a centre. The structure of this centre and the involvement of interested stakeholders would be presented below, along with the importance of such a centre for Cluj-Napoca

Should Dracula Myth be a Brand to Promote Romania as a Tourist Destination?

Dracula is an international brand, not a Romanian one. But Bram Stocker chose to locate his vampire in the mysterious location of Transylvania. Thus, Romania is the only country in the world which can exploit the myth of Dracula as being at its ‘home’. This could be considered a competitive advantage for Romania as a tourist destination. The vampire named Dracula generates mixed, mainly negative, feelings among Romanians. And maybe – for the 21st century – can become a character falling in desuetude. Though, the question remains: should the Dracula myth be used as a brand promoting Romania as a tourist destination? The present paper tries to find an answer to this controversial question.brand, Dracula, tourism, destination, product, Romania

CORRELATION BETWEEN THE PENETRATION STRATEGIES AND MARKETING MIX OF INTERNATIONAL HOTEL CHAINS IN ROMANIA

On the Romanian market there are 21 international hotel chains, having 51 hotels. The goal of the research paper is to analyze which are the marketing mix policies and strat-egies used by the hotels, belonging to an international hotel chain on the Romanian market. For this purpose, a descriptive research was implemented through investigation of all the hotels that are part of an international hotel chain. The research reveals that hotels operate by abiding the norms established by contract. The higher the risk, the investment and control are, the more influence the hotel chain has regarding the pricing strategies. Hotels use their own channels but also the parent chain channels. Promo-tion strategy takes into account global, regional and local issues encountered. The ma-jority of the hotels have the possibility to decide some internal elements for their per-sonnel. All the hotels apply norms and standardized procedures regarding the quality of the services. The most expected advantage for a hotel that belongs to an international chain is the visibility at international level

TOURISM DESTINATIONS DEVELOPMENT TRENDS THROUGH THE SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT PERSPECTIVE

The aim of this article is to underline the actual trends regarding tourism destinations, which are presented on social media channels by the most important international tourism organizations. Social media is nowadays one of the most popular way of communication due to the extremely large amount of users they have, the level of engagement they facilitate and, as well, due to lower costs they require in order to establish a proper marketing campaign. Moreover, being present and active on social networks can help an organization in reaching their audience and make it easy to spread information and to create awareness about new concepts and strategies concerning destination development. Furthermore, social networks help organizations to receive feedback and reactions on their themes and offer them a real framework for attracting attention about what they find most appealing.  Based on content analysis of the social media data, this article want to emphasize the hottest topics related with sustainability, tourism destinations development and destination governance, which are promoted by the international specialized organizations.</p

PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES OF THE STAGE ARTS AUDIENCE ON MARKETING MIX VARIABLES

Performing arts meet a wide range of audience needs. Some spectators make the decision to participate because they are interested in the program, while others are attracted by the interpretive qualities or by famous artists. The decision on the characteristics of the artistic product delivered to the public involves solving a dilemma between its artistic and commercial dimension, between the resources and the available budget and the aspirations of the directors. The distinction between entertainment and art is not always very rigid. There is a preconception about an art show that could be perceived as boring and inaccessible to the uncultivated public. The main purpose of the research is to analyze the public's perception of the elements of the marketing mix for the artistic product in the performing arts. Descriptive research was conducted through the questionnaire-based interview. Consumers are more inclined to seek to satisfy an emotional need by consuming artistic products or to learn something new, diversifying their level of education. JEL classification: M31, L89

ASPECTS OF ROMANIAN MARKETING ENVIRONMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL HOTEL CHAINS

The influence of global processes on economic development is reflected in the intensity of tourist streams and in the development of the hotel companies’ strategy. Because of that, is very important for a hotel and especially for one that belongs to an international chain to analyse the micro and macro environment, to know exactly which are the opportunities and the risks taken into consideration on a specific market. On the Romanian market the hotels that belong to international chains consider that the most important opportunity is the market development potential and the biggest risk is the infrastructure. Also, the own resources are the most important factor that is influencing directly the activity of a hotel belonging to an international chain in Romania. All those criteria are taken into consideration by the hotels in order to develop a long time strategy on the Romanian market

WORK PLACE INFLUENCE ON PURCHASE BEHAVIOR OF PET FOOD PRODUCTS IN THE PANDEMIC PERIOD

The pet food industry faced changes recently determining important market growth. During the COVID-19 pandemic the pets’ popularity increased as many people wanted to adopt or buy a pet during this period. Also, in respect with the workplace, the COVID-19 pandemic divided the pets’ owners in those who worked from home or hybrid and those who worked from the workplace. The main goals of the research are to analyze the factors that pet owners consider when they are purchasing pet food products, and the budget allocated for pet food products according to how pets’ owners worked in this period. Based on descriptive research, the study revealed that those who worked from home/ hybrid during the pandemic period put more emphasis on product quality and brand awareness and less on price. Those who have worked at workplace more emphasis on price and less on the quality of pet food. Article history: Received 3 June 2022; Revised 17 June 2022; Accepted 24 June 2022; Available online 30 June 2022; Available print 30 August 2022. JEL classification: M31, L67, D9

A MEASUREMENT OF RURAL TOURISM DESTINATIONS’ COMPETITIVENESS

The trend of rural tourism is growing and is becoming increasingly significant for most nations. Rural tourism is believed to have the potential to revive traditional approaches and perspectives on tourism and provide new dimensions to sustainable growth. Romania is regarded as one of the main destinations with a high potential in sustainable tourism development, due to its beautiful, unspoiled rural landscapes, traditions, and rustic lifestyle. Tourism, as a development tool, in rural communities, is one of the major concerns. The scarcity of case studies on rural tourist competitiveness, particularly in Romania, is what inspired the current research. This study attempts to investigate the factors that impact Romania’s rural tourism’s competitiveness and develop a conceptual framework for measuring it. In conducting our research, there were employed both exploratory and descriptive approaches. Secondary data from statistical and published research and studies were gathered, and it were collected primary data through surveys and personal interviews. The objective of the current research was to introduce a distinct and exclusive method of evaluating tourism in rather small regions with unique characteristics and applied and test the proposed model to Maramures region. The paper concludes that measuring and understanding rural tourism competitiveness and dynamics is essential for supporting sustainable development in rural areas, and it is of great importance for practitioners, policy makers and researchers

ADAPTIVE FACEBOOK COMMUNICATION OF ORTHODOX ENTITIES IN COVID-19 CONTEXT

A generalized migration of the consumers to digital channels was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic situation. In this context, the purpose of the research was to analyze the online options the consumer of religious services had and the way Church adapted its communication at the new circumstances. Questions regarding the intensity of communication, posts’ type or frequency, and reactions were investigated through a longitudinal retrospective study focused on Facebook platform. More than 6,150 posts and 1.6 million reactions were included. Distinctive profiles were observed: monasteries vs. urban parishes vs. rural ones. The study suggests that the pattern of consumers’ reactions was influenced by the type of the posts. The impact that online messages have, advocates for a professional approach or support in communication. The results may serve as informational input for a future unitary communication strategy of religious entities