Any settlement that is chosen to promote rural tourism is based on the following fundamental components: the centre of the village where most households are concentrated and which expresses the economic functions of the village; its outskirts (work area) is the land beyond the center of the village that supports all agricultural occupations, craft, trade, tourism; the population is represented by demographic indicators: birth rate, mortality, natural growth, morbidity, density. Identification and selection criteria for tourist villages are the potential of rhe natural environment composed of natural elements with great appeal, variety of landscapes (mountain, Alpine hills, lakes, delta), ambient aesthetic beauty (slopes, canyons, gorges, caves), wildlife hunting, forests; accessibility is dependent on geographical location in the territory and the main communication routes that connect with the nearest urban centers. Also, the presence of cultural and ethnographic elements are the most attractive ones for tourists; demographic and economic potential have an important role in the development of rural tourism in a village through: supporting agricultural and non-agricultural occupations, transmission of traditions and customs from generation to generation; preserving environmental quality has become an important milestone for the selection and preservation of rural tourist elements.fruit-growing and vine-growing villages, curative value, itinerant rural tourism, gastronomic festivals, touristic product

Florentina MIU

English

Research Papers in Economics

Scientific Bulletin – Economic Sciences, Vol. 10 (16)
PROPOSALS FOR ADAPTATION TO NEW ECONOMIC CHANGE
THROUGH THE PROMOTION AND SELECTION OF HOLIDAY
VILLAGES IN ROMANIA
Florentina MIU
Faculty of Economics, University of Piteşti
miu_florentina@yahoo.com
Abstract: Any settlement that is chosen to promote rural tourism is based on the
following fundamental components: the centre of the village where most households
are  concentrated  and  which expresses  the  economic  functions  of  the  village;  its
outskirts (work area) is the land beyond the center of the village that supports all
agricultural  occupations,  craft,  trade,  tourism;  the  population  is  represented  by
demographic indicators: birth rate, mortality, natural growth, morbidity, density.
Identification  and  selection  criteria  for  tourist  villages  are  the  potential  of  rhe
natural environment composed of natural elements  with  great appeal, variety of
landscapes (mountain, Alpine hills, lakes, delta), ambient aesthetic beauty (slopes,
canyons,  gorges,  caves),  wildlife  hunting,  forests;  accessibility  is  dependent  on
geographical  location  in  the  territory  and  the  main  communication  routes  that
connect with the nearest urban centers.
Also, the presence of cultural and ethnographic elements are the most attractive
ones for tourists; demographic and economic potential have an important role in the
development of rural tourism in a village through: supporting agricultural and non-
agricultural occupations, transmission of traditions and customs from generation to
generation; preserving environmental quality has become an important milestone
for the selection and preservation of rural tourist elements.
Keywords: fruit-growing and vine-growing villages, curative value, itinerant rural
tourism, gastronomic festivals, touristic product.
JEL Classification Codes: Q13, O18, L83
INTRODUCTION
In  the  past  20  years  in  Romania  were  selected  and  classified  the  following  tourist
villages such as: fruit-growing and vine-growing villages located in hilly and sub-Carpathian
areas,  where  alongside  fruit  and  vine  plantations,  people  are  also  involved  in  growing
livestock and various folk crafts : Agapia, Nucşoara, Lereşti; ethnographic and folk villages
have become famous for the architecture of houses, interior furniture, folk seams, handicrafts,
wood and stone sculptures, ceramics, of which we mention: Sibiel, Bogdan Vodă, Vicovu de
Sus, Marginea, Săpânţa; pastoral villages are located in high mountain area, where people are
growing livestock, such as Maramureş, Argeş, Vâlcea, Sibiu, Vrancea, hunting and fishing
villages are scattered in many picturesque regions n the Maramureş Depression, Depression
Braşov, the Danube Valley and Delta, Siret Meadow, Apuseni Mountains; villages where
sports activities can be organized are found in mountainous and high hills areas, deltas, alongFlorentina MIU
rivers, around lakes where you can practice winter sports, water sports or some adventure
sports (rock climbing, gliding), such as: Fundata,Văliug, Budeasa, Mila 23, Murighiol
1.
For  rural  tourism  in  some  villages  a  few  attractive  features  are  highlighted:  the
recreational, aesthetic and landscape value, in many occasions due to the choice of destination
(mountains, hills, plains, seaside or delta); curative value (spa) of the bioclimate or natural
factors in the area; mountains, caves, streams, wildlife resources, the snow layer and cognitive
value for components designated as parks, botanical gardens and zoos, scientific reserves and
natural monuments.
1. THEMATIC AREAS OF THE RURAL PRODUCT
Thematic areas of the touristic product can take different aspects, tour organizers being
able to develop specialized versions of programs around rural vacations. The social contacts
specific  to  this  environment  have  increased, as  well  as  various  options  which include  a
weekend  spent  at  a  farm  or  thematic  programs  related  to the  characteristics  of  the area:
hunting, fishing, taking up and practicing riding.
Turismul rural permite desfăşurarea unor activităţi specifici, ce pot fi încadrate în două
forme distincte de turism şi anume: turismul de sejur şi cel itinerant. Rural tourism allows
carrying  out  specific  activities  that  can  be  classified  into  two  distinct  forms  of  tourism,
namely: stay-in and traveling tourism.
Stay-in tourism can offer:
 close study of nature: observing plants and animals, birds, photographing, filming
 hunting, fishing, riding;
 knowing the ancestral values;
 participating in festivals, traditions, rural traditions;
 practicing  sports  that  require  knowledge  of  the  environment:  touristic  orientation,
automobilism, motorcycling or bike riding on a varied terrain
 organizing conventions, symposia, conferences or seminars at various levels;
 visit handicraft workshops.
Traveing rural tourism can also be organized and spontaneous. In order to develop this
form of tourism, an important role will be played by the existence of an organization or a
specialized organizational framework to facilitate the booking system, confirm bookings and
ensure service delivery in accordance with the order received.
Tourism products that can be offered to tourists in this form of tourism can have the
following themes:
 gems  of  Romanian  song  and  dance  and  the  participation  in  celebrations,  social
evenings, competitions and folk festivals
 meeting folk craftsmen: potters, furriers, wood carving etc.
 On the trail of outlaws (woven with outlaw landmarks, inns, popular theater, museum
points);
 Fish trail - in fisheries - with basic services and fishing trips;
 Wine Road - visiting vineyards and wine tasting
 Gastronomic festivals:
 In the Footsteps of Dracula: visiting the artefacts that remind us of Vlad Tepes and
staying overnight in rural areas, with evening campfires and songs, stories around the
fire
1 Adapted after :Cândea Melinda, Erdeli G., Simon Tamara, Peptenatu D., 2003, Romania’s touristic potential
and touristic space planning, University Publishing House, Bucharest, p. 15-25.Proposals for adaptation to new economic change through the promotion and selection of holiday
villages in Romania
 Visiting:  Brătianu,  George  Enescu,  Ciprian  Porumbescu,  Panait  Istrati or  other
personalities and artistic symbols.
2
Equally attractive are the circuits and routes that will include parks and nature reserves
in mountain areas, caving trails, travel by boat and why not with rafts.
To support and encourage itinerary tourism, the organizers will take into account the
need for materials that will be a support and means of presentation, such as: calendar of rural
events, guides, maps, monographs, brochures, catalogs.
To determine the type of touristic village, it is necessary, along with the desire and
intention  of  the  organizers,  the  respective  tourist  village  meet  an  amount  of  natural  and
historical conditions, social and economic objectives that define and are characteristic to each
type of village.
These minimum conditions that a village must meet to become a touristic village refer
to:  the  existence  of  households  to  provide  accommodation  and  meals  (half  board  or  full
board),  according  to  certain  standards  developed  by  the  Ministry  of  Regional  and  Rural
Development,  location  in  a  naturally  attractive  area,  without  sources  of  pollution,
accessibility, availability of rich tourist resources that can be valued by carrying out varied
holiday activities, rich folk and ethnographic traditions, traditional occupations
In relation to the variety and value of touristic resources, the activity that takes place in
a touristic village is characterized by a greater or lesser complexity, but generally includes the
following  components:  accommodation,  general  trade,  catering,  treatment,  entertainment,
promotion and publicity, organization, development and planning.
3
Any rural settlement is based on the following fundamental components:
 center of the village where most households are concentrated and which expresses
the economic functions of the village;
 the outskirts (work area) is the land beyond the center of the village that supports all
agricultural occupations, craft, trade, tourism, etc.;
1. the population is represented by demographic indicators: birth rate, mortality, natural
growth, morbidity, density,etc.
Each village can have different meanings depending tourist natural resources and man,
the hospitality mentality. Currently there are several criteria for identifying and selecting the
tourist villages, which are:
o Potential of the natural environment, composed of natural elements with great appeal,
variety of landscapes (mountain, Alpine hills, lakes, delta), ambient aesthetic beauty (slopes,
canyons, gorges, caves), wildlife hunting, forestry
o The degree of accessibility is based on the geographical location in the territory and the
main communication routes that connect with the nearest urban centers. Accessibility plays an
important  role  in  reducing  time  spent  traveling  and  to  reduce  fatigue  while  going  the
distances;
o The  presence  of  cultural  and  ethnographic  elements  represents  the  most  attractive
element for tourists. Their value is expressed by the characteristics of traditional architecture,
secular  or  religious,  the  interior  of  dwellings,  types  of  exterior  stylings,  stone  and  wood
2 Miu Florentina,2011, ,,Ecotourism and rural tourism ", University of Piteşti Publishing House, p. 263,
3 Adaptation  after  :Glăvan  V.,    2003, Rural  Tourism,  Agricultural  tourism,  Sustainable  Tourism,    Ecotourism,
Economic Publishing House, Bucharest, p. 78Florentina MIU
sculpture,  folk  costume,  stitches  and  fabric  art,  local  folklore,  handicrafts  and  household
utensils;
o The demographic and economic potential has an important role in the development of
rural  tourism  services  in  a  village  through:  supporting  agricultural  and  non-agricultural
occupations, transmiting traditions and customs from generation to generation
o Maintaining a quality environment has become an important milestone for the selection
and conservation of touristic elements in rural areas.
For the development and organization of Romanian villages and tourist regions as a
whole, certain prerequisites are necessary, which are at the same time at the basis of a multi-
criteria analysis of Romanian villages with tourist valences:
4
a) a strong correlation between the size and dynamics of touristic services and overall
economic and social development of the country, of each county and rural locality in
part;
b) Increase of services and of the population employed in areas other than services of
the total of employed population in the context of the national economy, increasing
the capacity represents a solution for touristic services, for the workforce cut off from
other sectors;
c) changes  in  the  basic  travel  services,  accommodation  and  catering -  in  the  total
revenue per day in accordance with international standards
d) development, modernization and strengthening of the touristic heritage, concern for
achieving an important investment volume prioritarily directed to strengthening and
modernizing as a first step, an existing touristic structure, building small and medium
capacity objectives in the areas and localities with touristic potential previously not
exploited  according  to  touristic  demand,  amplification  of  equipment  for  leisure,
tourism  infrastructure  development,  without  which  Romanian  tourism  can  not
compete internationally.
2. PROPOSALS  FOR  PROMOTING  THE  CONCEPT,  „HOLIDAY  VILLAGE  IN
ROMANIA”
Romania has great potential to develop agro-tourism, its practice being not only
possible but also very necessary at this stage.
Specialists consider that the whole policy of rural tourism development in Romania
should be in a close collaboration with EUROGÎTES and by working on a partnership basis
with regional or national associations. In this respect, the National Association for Rural,
Ecological and Cultural Tourism in Romania has affiliated to EUROGÎTES and have resolved
on concluding association or partnership agreements with associations for rural tourism in
some European countries or regions
5.
It is also necessary to form a group of experts capable to provide technical assistance
and  hold  courses  with  the  heads  of  local  power  structures  and  owners  of  rural  tourism
structures on marketing issues, planning and interior partition of accommodation spaces, and
4 Glăvan V.,  2003, Rural Tourism, Agricultural tourism, Sustainable Tourism,  Ecotourism,  Economic Publishing
House, Bucharest, p. 102
5 Nistoreanu P., Ţigu G., Popescu D., Pădurean M., Talpeş A., Tala M., Condulescu C., 2003, Ecotourism and
rural tourism, ASE Publishing House, Bucharest, p. 68.Proposals for adaptation to new economic change through the promotion and selection of holiday
villages in Romania
training and food services,  classification and quality standards, catering and dining rules,
rules of hygiene and ecology, behavior in dealing with tourists, information system (stock
records,  reservation  system),  etc..,  the  selection  being  made  by  experts  of  the  National
Association, and for their training EUROGÎTES support should be sought.
In these circumstances, the attributions of the National Association for Rural Ecological
and Cultural Tourism refers to:
 promoting and defending member interests
 cooperation with counterparts in other countries, with EUROGÎTES and other European
bodies
 coordination and collaboration with regional subsidiaries
 participation in exchanges between regional centers
 the regular holding of seminars on environmental issues, including support from some
students and university professors
 organizing  participation  in  fairs  and  promotional  and  marketing  activities,  including
organizing the participation in national and international tourism fairs
 liaising with the media and travel media Association
 selection, preparation and coordination of the activity of the body of experts
 prepare a group of interpreter guides, attendants or specialized on the main rural tourism
activities
 organization of courses aimed at improving professional training for local center leaders
and members of the association
Currently, about 40% of rural tourism is takes place in unapproved guesthouses, many
of which do not meet quality standards. ANTREC includes over 2,000 guesthouses ranging
from 1 to 5 rosettes.
CONCLUSIONS
Following the original study "Selecting and organizing holiday villages in Romania"
on  management  principles,  elements  of  tourism  infrastructure  in  rural  areas,  resource
valuation practices available to touristic units, as well as management levels of rural tourism
activities in the area, the following conclusions can be drawn:
1. South-Muntenia has a varied natural and cultural potential, and rural tourism is able to
make them functional on the market
2. Natural  heritage,  valuable  at  European  level,  is  in  conservation  process  and  is
introduced in touristic trails, but not enough as to effectively supplement the scarce
budgetary financial resources necessary for nature protection and research;
3. Each  area  of touristic  interest  in  the  South-Muntenia  Region,  regardless  of
specialization,  requires  a  plan  of  strategic  management  and  use  in  negotiations  to
attract and exploit local and foreign investment
4. Tourism development in rural areas is a good alternative to rural households, which
along  with  farming  practices  can  serve  a  large  number  of  tourists  in  agricultural
guesthouses or representative farms
5. The concept of "Holiday village" is one of the most profitable forms of tourism for
the touristic potential situated at the outskirts of rural communities and is currently
gaining more popularity.Florentina MIU
Based on the ennumerated conclusions I make the following recommendations:
1. Including tourist resources of the South-Muntenia Region in the economic cycle by
developing a network of tourist areas
2. Application of various forms of institutionalization of tourism resources for their
proper management for nonpolluting economic purposes
3. Location in tourist areas of a large variety of activities serving guests to create a
consistent and constant flow of tourists, including out of season
4. Encouraging  rural  tourism  investors  as  an  alternative  to  agricultural  activities  by
delimiting local territories for touristic specialization, realization of strategic plans and
management  of  touristic  areas,  improvement  of  business  management  tools  with
functionality close to tourist resources areas
5. Developing strategic partnerships public - private and local – foreign for the development
of rural tourismin areas with significant touristic resources
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1. Cândea Melinda, Erdeli G., Simon Tamara, Peptenatu D., 2003, Romania’s tourist potential
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Bucharest.
3. Erdeli G., Gheorghilaş A., 2006,Tourist facilities, University PublishingHouse, Bucharest.
4. Glăvan  V.,  2003, Rural  Tourism,  Agricultural  tourism,  Sustainable  Tourism,    Ecotourism,
Economic Publishing House, Bucharest
5. Glăvan  V.,  2002, Tourism  Geography, Publishing  House  of  the “România  de  Mâine”
Foundation, Bucureşti.
6. Miu Florentina, 2011, Ecotourism and rural tourism, University of Piteşti Publishing House
7. Nistoreanu P., Ţigu G., Popescu D., Pădurean M., Talpeş A., Tala M., Condulescu C., 2003,
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General Tourism Geography,

Romania’s tourist potential and tourist space planning,

Rural Tourism, Agricultural tourism, Sustainable Tourism, Ecotourism, Economic Publishing House,

Tourism Geography,

Tourism Geography, Didactic and Pedagogical Publishing House,

Proposals for adaptation to new economic change through the promotion and selection of holiday villages in Romania

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Proposals for adaptation to new economic change through the promotion and selection of holiday villages in Romania

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