Automatically when we talk about tourism, tourism industry and hospitality industry we refer to the term also increasingly mentioned. Through this work we describe the hotel, restaurant business and other travel related activity services, which since 2008 have been continuously developed and represent a source of benefit to the economy of any country. The paper aims to assess the perception of tourists based on a questionnaire about the quality of hospitality services in Romania compared to European Union countries.hospitality, hotel industry, restoration, perception

Babaita Carmen

Ispas Andreia

Pârjol Florentina

English

Research Papers in Economics

248 
 
THE TOURIST PERCEPTION OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY:  
ROMANIA VERSUS EUROPEAN UNION 
Băbăi ă Carmen 
West University of Timisoara  
Faculty of Economics and Business Administration 
Ispas Andreia 
West University of Timisoara  
Faculty of Economics and Business Administration 
Pîrjol Florentina 
West University of Timisoara  
Faculty of Economics and Business Administration 
 
Automatically when we talk about tourism, tourism industry and hospitality industry we refer to 
the  term  also  increasingly  mentioned.  Through  this  work  we  describe  the  hotel,  restaurant 
business and other travel related activity services, which since 2008 have been continuously 
developed and represent a source of benefit to the economy of any country. The paper aims to 
assess the perception of tourists based on a questionnaire about the quality of hospitality services 
in Romania compared to European Union countries. 
 
Keywords:  hospitality, hotel industry, restoration, perception 
 
Cod JEL lucrare: L, L8, L83 
 
Concept Clarification 
Oxford English Dictionary defines hospitality as "receipt and maintenance of guests, visitors and 
foreigners  with  generosity  and  kindness".  Hospitality  includes  all  services  which  provide 
accommodation and/ or food and beverages to persons who are not resident in the area, regardless 
of how long they will spend away from it, including a wide range of business such as small guest 
houses,  fast  food,  pizza  house  and  related  services.  Public  accommodation  and  catering  are 
different due to service quality, to the people who receive them and due to the targeting customer 
segments, and they are different by the comfort and quality offered as part of a wider group of 
activities grouped under the name of tourism. 
 
Hospitality Industry in Romania and the European Union  
Hospitality Industry 
Systematic  analysis  of  tourism  service  quality  and  taking  the  necessary  measures  are  top 
priorities in the current period to transform the hospitality industry in a cost-effective resource 
with high share in GDP, as there are countries with a tourism well developed, such as Spain, 
Italy, Greece, Switzerland.  The creation of a culture of quality in this area, where they have 
established for decades some inappropriate practices takes time in order to professionally and 
ethically train all staff and change its mentality.  
Tourism professionals say that it should be smiles, courtesy and decency to be part of a quality 
system. Such a system was launched in Spain, where the number of stars appears with a Q, 
symbolizing of a system showing the highest degree of service quality Star alleged. 
In the Romanian hotel sector, although we can still find obstacles, however, we see significant 
changes in legal law, in the state economy which shows a financial jam and also the leadership 
characters involved in tourism that began to change their mentality and understand the need for 
quality tourism. 249 
 
The  first  major  trend  is  the  increase  in  service  quality  and  enhance  the  facilities  offered  to 
tourists, so often met in hotel units integrated into large hotel chains (e.g. Hotel "Mara", Sinaia), 
in hotels under joint ownership with foreign investors (e.g. hotel SOFITEL-Bucharest) and in 
other hotels that have passed from public ownership to private ownership (e.g. most of the hotels 
in Mamaia). The second trend is the realization of investments aimed at building new hotel units. 
Another trend, but a negative one for Romanian tourism is due to increasing prices charged for 
hotel services which was not always consistent with the quality of the offered services, which 
resulted  in loss  of  both foreign  and  Romanian tourists  to  other  holiday  destinations  such  as 
Turkey Greece, Croatia, Spain, etc. 
 
Restoration Industry 
In  collective  and  commercial  consumption  the  major  trade  groups  increasingly  make  their 
presence felt. Comparable levels of collecting revenue for food and trade leads to the assumption 
of equal relative intensity of expression of horizontal concentration. Moreover, we see the same 
group both carrying out the activities of collective food and catering business activities (e.g. 
ACCOR group). 
In France, Sodexho Group has 1714 restaurants, serving over 145 million customers annually. 
From the total number of restaurants, 30% work in education institutions, 43% in enterprises, 
27% in health institutions and in asylums. 
Across Europe, the rule is held by Mc'Donalds’ Corporation. In the context of commercial food, 
chain fast-food restaurants have the most spectacular results and it's expected that in the future 
development potential of the fast-food formula will be considerable. Thus, an American spends 
on fast food restaurants over 10 times more than in a French one and 100 times more than in an 
Italian one.  
Restoration or catering and housing activity are an extremely complex component. Restoration 
must be distinguished from so-called "commercial" and "collective", which concerns mainly: 
restaurants,  hospitals  restoration,  restoration  of  prisons,  restoration  of  the  military,  school 
canteens,  university  restaurants,  holiday  villages,  settlements,  social  restoration.  The  first 
restaurant franchise type McDrive opened in Romania in Bra ov in 1998, and the only KFC 
restaurants opened in Bucharest in 1997. Since 1994 works in Bucharest first Pizza Hut unit, 
other units operating in Constanta and Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara.
244 
 
Research method and interpretation of data related questionnaire 
An inquiry based on a survey questionnaire it was conducted on the situation of the hospitality 
industry covering tourism accommodation services in Romania in comparison with services in 
EU countries. It was chosen in random a sample of 30 respondents of different ages.  
Following  analysis  of survey  data  on tourists  who have traveled  to  Romania,  highlights the 
following: 
-  All  respondents  have  traveled  to  other  cities in  Romania  than the residence  one  until that 
moment and only 27 of 30 respondents traveled in Europe. 
-  Highest  weight  is  for  visiting  relatives  or  friends  38%,  sightseeing  (24%),  recreation  and 
spending a holiday both with a share of 14% and with 5% are business an treatments. 
- On average tourists spent more than 10 days (47%). 
 Following analysis of survey data on tourists, who have traveled to countries in the European 
Union, highlights the following: 
- A 10% have traveled outside the border, and on the other hand a 90% crossed the borders of 
Romania in a certain period of time. 
                                                       
244Băbăi ă Carmen – Cateringul ca afacere, Editura Mirton, Timi oara, 2010 250 
 
- At the question that refers to the highest weight for travel, it is visiting friends or relatives 30%. 
- Tourist attractions in European countries accounted 23% to 24% for sightseeing in Romania. 
This  means  that  Romanians  still  expect  changes  in  tourism,  with  further  opportunities  for 
Romanian tourism. Spending a holiday in European countries has a 20% share compared with 
14% against Romania. Consequently, the Romanians still choose to spend their holiday abroad 
than  at  home,  for  various  reasons.  Other  purposes  for  travel  abroad  are  conferences,  school 
projects or Work and Travel Program with a rate of 17% and business at a rate of 10%. 
- Average foreign tourists spent over 10 days. 
Agreement/disagreement with several statements about the services in the hotel units in Romania. 
Note that at the professional competence the highest score was obtained in Agreement - 8 points, 
followed by neutral category where the score was 6 points. The difference between the two is 
rather low, which means that respondents are not fully convinced of the competence of workers 
in tourism and from the hotel units in our country. Employee courtesy is rated equally between 
agree and neutral with 10 points each. The tourism industry needs people with knowledge in 
tourism and which are passionate about working with people in this area. They need to have the 
desire to satisfy all customers requests with courtesy and kindness. 
The  agreement/disagreement  with  several  statements  about  the  services  of the  hotel  units  in 
Romania. Note that if professional competence achieved the highest score at the Acord Hotel - 8 
points, followed by neutral, category which obtained 6 points. The difference between the two is 
rather low, which means that respondents are not fully convinced by the competence of workers 
in tourism and hotel units in our country. Employee courtesy is rated equally between agreement 
and neutral with 10 points each. The tourism industry needs people with background knowledge 
in tourism and be passionate about working with people in this area. They also need to have the 
desire to satisfy all customers with courtesy and kindness.  
In respect to the employees’ seriousness, respondents gave a score of 9 to neutral and 7 points to 
disagree. This should give thought to those who have major influence on tourism, which should 
take into account customer feedback in order to avoid losing them. The high standard of services 
received the highest score in neutral-10, followed by totally disagree with 9 points. Services 
clearly need improvements and also need valuable people who have certain essential qualities for 
those in hospitality, in order to have credibility with customers.  
The agreement/disagreement in respect to the hotel units in Europe. Professional competence in 
Europe received 18 points from respondents, meaning that tourists appreciate the professional 
competence of workers in European housing units, implicitly the managers who deal with their 
management. In respect to the courtesy most employees received 20 points, as all respondents 
agree that foreign employees are very friendly and respect the rules of conduct imposed by the 
hospitality industry, having a professional conduct. The seriousness of employees was awarded 
17 points and 10 points in total agreement. The seriousness of the staff is very important for the 
guests, who spend a holiday in the tourist accommodation units and who need to feel confidence 
and reliability from those who attend them. Standard services received a score of 19 points in 
total agreement and 5 points in the agreement, and only 3 of the respondents gave 3 points to 
neutral.  
Data analysis indicates that respondents had to assess service hotel units in Romania and Europe. 
Thus,  solving  the  problems  arising  and  professional  competence  was  quoted by  the  mark  3, 
although it would be situated in the middle of the chart, compared with hotel services in Europe. 
Almost the same situation applies to the quality of service and culinary products which have all 
received a 3, as a mark. In respect to the cleanliness of the room, the mark received was 4, close 
to maximum, which means that those who take care of cleanliness of the rooms are doing their 
job thoroughly and seriously. Respondents marked with 3 the technical state of the facilities 
offered by the rooms and the hotel. Hotel managers should pay more attention to the equipment 
used in hotel, in order to be able to provide the best conditions to those who cross the threshold 251 
 
and have the confidence to spend a holiday there. The courtesy of the staff was noted with almost 
the maximum score, i.e. 4 ,which is very beneficial for those working in the reception are, in 
contrast with waiters, who received a kindly 3. Managers of hotel units should have some a 
criterion by which staff is elected, in order to avoid certain future issues. 
Advantages of hotel services in Romania, as listed by the interviewed people:  
- diverse landscape, attractive and different services; 
- some hotels offer low-cost accommodation and food packages, meeting a good quality-price 
ratio; 
- other people consider that Romanian hotels have good managers, that show respect for both 
their business and visitors; 
- good food and special dishes, also trying to provide international menus; 
Listed disadvantages: 
- complaints are perceived as insults, showing lack of professionalism; 
- some hotels charge more than they offer for their services, thus the visitors are dissatisfied; 
- some hotels are careless in terms of room and hotel cleanness, there are still issues regarding the 
staff and their daily duties; 
Profile of the interviewed people: 57% women, 43% men. Age: the largest percent is made up of 
people under 30 years old, then people aged between 30-40, 40-50 and only 3% over 50 years 
old. 
Recommendations:  Romanian  hotels  and  their  managers  should take  more  advantage  of  our 
diverse landscape in order to offer flawless services and attract more visitors, offering a proper 
quality-price ratio. The hotel staff should be trained accordingly and speak at least one foreign 
language.  Room  cleanness  should  be  done  in  accordance  with  the  star  classification.  Hotel 
owners  should  be  more  polite  and  provide  more  facilities  and  information  regarding  their 
services. Most of the answers refer to the professional behaviour of the staff and their availability, 
the fact that they should have the necessary education in order to do this job, the cleanness in the 
rooms. More quality services should be provided, according to European standards, at a fair 
quality-price ratio, as well as more free time activities. 
 
Conclusion 
As a consequence of all the facts presented above, one can strongly claim that the hospitality 
industry, tourism in general, is an important factor in a country’s development, from economic, 
social and cultural standpoint. Tourism can turn an unknown country into a popular, thriving one.  
In Romania, the hospitality industry is still developing, especially if we consider the fact that 
Romania has to comply with the EU regulations.  
According to our questionnaire, Romanians think that there are differences between the services 
provided in Romania and Europe, especially regarding the professional skills, availability and 
professionalism  of  the  employees.  In  order  to  reach  European  level,  we  have  to  pay  more 
attention to the staff, because it is the image of a particular hotel and represents indirectly the 
quality of the services offered.  
A person working in the tourist industry should have communicative skills, be able to interact 
immediately with people, being trustworthy from the first minutes of the conversation. He/she 
should be able to solve any problem properly and in a nice manner and at the same time be an 
expert in the services provided. 
The quality of the offered services must also be improved, at an excellent quality-price ratio and, 
as far as entertainment goes, more free time activities should be developed. 
 
References 
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2.  Băbăi ă Carmen – Cateringul ca afacere, Editura Mirton, Timi oara, 2010 252 
 
3.  Stănciulescu  Gabriela  –  Managementul  opera iunilor  de  turism,  Editura  All  Beck, 
Bucure ti, 2003 
4.  Arch  Woodside  -  Advances  in  culture,  tourism  and  hospitality  research,  Publishing 
Emerad, UK, 2008 
5.  Oxford English Dictionary – accesat electronic, 2010 
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Advances in culture, tourism and hospitality research, Publishing Emerad,

Băbăi ă Carmen – Cateringul ca afacere, Editura Mirton, Timi oara,

Dictionary – accesat electronic,

Falni ă Eugen – Managementul total al calită ii, Editura Mirton, Timi oara,

Managementul opera iunilor de turism, Editura All Beck, Bucure ti,

Mără oiu – Scurt inventar al subiectelor de dezbătut privind investi iile hoteliere în România,

THE TOURIST PERCEPTION OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY: ROMANIA VERSUS EUROPEAN UNION

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THE TOURIST PERCEPTION OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY: ROMANIA VERSUS EUROPEAN UNION

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