In Romania, the agro and rural tourism started as potential sources of living and become an alternative for the classic tourism. As we rise up on the presented papers in 2003, even if there is a significant development of the rural tourism, it is not very attractive to the Romanian people. The study made on County Dambovita area, shows that an important reason of the poor attractiveness of agro-tourism in mountains rural area is the les proper marketing of the services. Based on these conclusion and taking advantages on the public administration area, it was started a program of public and private marketing of rural tourism. The main stages of the programme were: 1) the evaluation of specific indicators of rural tourism like staying overnights, net using capacity in function and quality of provided services; 2) provide information and advertise the area facilities and natural environment using the public administration infrastructure; 3) make the link between the owners of tourism capacities and public servants by a briefly marketing training; 4) re-evaluation the indicators mention above. The results of the programme implementation prove that the public and private marketing, used in partnership by local authorities and of rural tourism services providers, could be a tool of better development. Never the les, the win-win situation rise up from the benefit of general economic development of the area obtained due to a larger flux of domestic and foreign tourists.tourism, development, public, private affairs, marketing

Grigorescu, Adriana

English

Research Papers in Economics

PAPER PRESENTED:
18
th Biennial International Congress „Tourism & Hospitality Industry 
2004, New trends in Tourism and Hospitality Management”, Faculty of 
Tourism and Hospitality Management Opatija, University of Rijeka, 
Opatija, Croatia, May 3-5, 
PAPER PUBLISHED:
volume printed by Fintrade & Tours d.o.o. Rijeka, Croaţia, ISBN 953-
6198-89-4, 2006, pg.381-388
ADRIANA GRIGORESCU, Ph.D., Associate Professor 
Department of Management, National School of Political Studies and Public 
Administration Bucharest
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AFFAIRS MARKETING 
IN RURAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
Abstract: In Romania, the agro and rural tourism started as potential sources of living and 
become an alternative for the classic tourism. 
As we rise up on the presented papers in 2003, even if there is a significant development of 
the rural tourism, it is not very attractive to the Romanian people. 
The study made on County Dambovita area, shows that an important reason of the poor 
attractiveness of agro-tourism in mountains rural area is the les proper marketing of the 
services.
Based on these conclusion and taking advantages on the public administration area, it was 
started a program of public and private marketing of rural tourism.
The main stages of the programme were: 1) the evaluation of specific indicators of rural 
tourism  like  staying  overnights,  net  using  capacity  in  function  and  quality  of  provided 
services; 2) provide information and advertise the area facilities and natural environment 
using  the  public  administration  infrastructure;  3)  make  the  link  between  the  owners  of 
tourism capacities and public servants by a briefly marketing training; 4) re-evaluation the 
indicators mention above.
The results of the programme implementation prove that the public and private marketing, 
used in partnership by local authorities and of rural tourism services providers, could be a 
tool of better development.
Never  the  les,  the  win-win  situation  rise  up  from  the  benefit  of  general  economic 
development of the area obtained due to a larger flux of domestic and foreign tourists.
Key words: tourism, development, public, private affairs, marketingINTRODUCTION 
Based on the previous evolution of the agro-tourism in the studied area, it was 
our understanding that both, public authorities and the owners, should joint the efforts 
to promote better the area potential.
Due to the fact that the touristic potential of the area is really one of the most 
powerful in the country, this is an asset that can strongly contribute to the economic 
development of the area.
Starting from the conclusion that a marketing programme about the potential 
of the area could by a plus in increasing the tourists interest, there were settled some 
steps to be followed.
The  main  stages  of  the  programme  were:  1)  the  evaluation  of  specific 
indicators of rural tourism like staying overnights, net using capacity in function and 
quality of provided services; 2) provide information and advertise the area facilities and 
natural environment using the public administration infrastructure; 3) make the link 
between the owners of tourism capacities and public servants by a briefly marketing 
training; 4) re-evaluation the indicators mention above.
1. THE  EVALUATION  OF  SPECIFIC  INDICATORS  OF  RURAL 
TOURISM 
All the strategies should be designed according with the picture offered by an 
analysis of the existing stage. This was the reason to start with an evaluation process of 
the existing facilities.
The main aim of the analysis was to collect information in order to calculate 
some indicator and rural tourism.
The evaluation of specific indicators of rural tourism taken into account were 
staying overnights,, net capacity in function, rate of usage the capacity  and quality of 
provided services.
After an inventory of net capacity in function the rural tourism hold, in the 
selected village about 120 places on the rural households in addition to the over 200 
places on the hotels and pensions. According with the declaration in the hotels and 
pensions all most the capacity is in function. These are as a result of the rehabilitation 
or  new  capacities.  On  the  other  hand  the  rural  touristic  capacity  was  much  more 
difficult to be estimated as volume and also as capacity in function.
So,  if  there  are  possibilities  of  120  accommodation  places,  it  is  hard  to 
estimate if there are in function or not because there are not 100% separated inside of 
the household. In this case we estimate that at a certain moment about 80% could be in 
function.  
The rate of usage is about 40-45% per year with seasonal fluctuation. The 
capacity is fully used on the holiday time. That means that the most profitable periods 
of time are in summer from end of May until middle of September, Christmas and 
Easter holidays.
Regarding the quality of the provided services is very hard to estimate it on 
the rural tourism. The hotels and the pensions are following the standards and they are quoted as two or three stars  or two daisies.  In our estimation we consider that the 
quality of the provided services in the pensions is according with the standards and we 
used the same criteria for the rural tourism.
The capacity is about 30% similar with two daisies category and 70% similar 
with one daisy.
The tourists are informed mainly directly from previous on direct questioning 
at the arrival in the interested area.
The rural touristic capacity is not advertised, not included in data bases, not 
exposed as offer.
2. PROVIDE INFORMATION AND ADVERTISE 
The information about the touristic potential in the area is very important for 
the decisional process. 
From the internet all tourists could have some information regarding the most 
important touristic attraction as Bucegi Natural Park, Ialomicioara Monastery,
Figure 1. Bucegi Natural Park 
Source: www.ici.ro/romania/tourism/
Bucegi Natural Park, with an area of 32.663 ha is under the jurisdiction of 
three  Counties:  Prahova,  Dambovita  and  Brasov,  most  of  the  area  belonging  to 
Dambovita County. 
One of the most important attractions is Ialomita’s Cave placed at about 32-36 
km from the cross road (from S turn left in Moroieni village at the Sanatorium, from N 
turn  right  to  Paduchiosul).  Both  roads  meet  and  follow  their  way  through  north, 
alongside  Bolboci  Lake  and  Tatarului  Gorges  to  the  monastic  complex  Peştera. 
Ialomita's Cave (1600m) is at few km from the well-known Babele Peak (2200m). 
The Ialomita River flows down through the Ialomita valley. Its spring is in the 
Bucegi Mountains, at the foot of Mountain Omu. The entrance to Ialomita Cave opens 
near the spring.The shelter of this huge portal has been known since ancient time and it was used 
to build an Orthodox monastery. The church and the monks’ cells were built of wood, 
and burned down four times in the last four hundred years. Always rebuilt, the last 
construction was made during 1993-1996.
This is the most suggestive example of a natural and built monument, belonging 
to  the  studied  area  and  proper  marketed  by  its  neighborhood.  All  the  promotion 
materials of Prahova Valley refer to the Ialomita Cave and Pestera Monastery.
Figure 2. Ialomicioara Monastery and Ialomita Cave entrance
Figure 3. Ialomicioara Monastery
Source: www.ici.ro/romania/tourism/
Nearby the springs, at the entrance in the Ialomita cave, the faithful ones and the 
monks from the neighbouring villages (Pietrosita, Moroeni, Bran, Moieciu s.a.) have 
built Orthodox  monastic  dwelling  several  times.  The  churches  and  the  cells,  being 
made  from  wood,  have  had  burned  out  four  times  during  the  four  centuries  of 
existence. The last fire had destroyed everything in 1961. 
Starting from 1993, August the 1st, the whole complex was completely rebuilt, 
being now an astonishing place, charming our hearts and souls.
Figure 4. Ialomicioara ChurchSource: www.ici.ro/romania/tourism/
The Scropoasa hydro power station uses a water barrage on a lake with more 
then 65 square km. surface and 0.6 mil cubic m. volume.
Also you can find the purest water here at the “Seven Springs”, places kept 
secret before 1990. The local legend said that this water has secret powers and names it 
“long life water”.
Searching the South of the studied region, at 14 km is Pucioasa, a balneary 
and climatic resort with natural springs of sulphurous water.
At 40 km tourists may visit Targoviste City, with the Ruins of the Royal Court 
and the Chindiei Tower from XIV
th  century.
Figure 5. The Altar from the Ialomicioara Cave    
Figure 6. Waterfall in the Cave
Source: www.ici.ro/romania/tourism/In the mentioned area there are al lot of others natural touristic places less 
known that the mention above. The beautifulness of the area is based on the wild places 
that offer surprises also to the persons very familiar with mountain regions. 
Examples of such places could be:
Figure 7. Orzei Gaps
Figure 8.  Tatarului Defile
Source: www.ici.ro/romania/tourism/
We have several meetings with local householders to present them that what 
they are considering as normal and well known is not the perception of the tourists. So 
they understand the importance to talk about the natural beautifulness they have in the 
area. 
Later  we  explain  to  them  that  it  will  be  better  to  present  some  how  the 
facilities of accommodation they could offer at a time. The ambient and the rural life 
experience could be an asset as well tourism.
The experiment gives to the house holders some ideas about what could be 
interesting for potential tourists and how they can increase the attraction of the area.
Referring to the  survey made in 2004 and the conclusions we present, the 
reasons of non development of rural tourism in the area were as follows: the reasons and the influential facts for a poor offer in the studied region:
 low  level  of  knowledge  about  managing  and  marketing  agro-
tourism
 wrong understanding of agro-tourism business
 insufficient house space – there is the tendency of approaching it 
as  an  industrial  business,  meaning  specially  designed 
accommodation spaces and facilities as: individual rooms with 
bath, swimming pool, restaurant etc.
 fear of investing: first because of lack of funds, second because 
of  uncertain return due to a low number of customers
 no answer to questions as:
o Am I and my house proper for agro-tourism?
o Do I disturb the tourists with my presence?
o Shell I invest money? Do I have it?
o Did somebody hear about me?
o How much will I earn? 
 the marketing influence in developing agro-tourism on the studied area 
should cover the following issues:
a. firstly, the marketing shall take the role of information marketing 
and  promote  the  agro-tourism  business  as  “Tourism  made  in 
rural household or farms” so the local people must be convinced 
that they do not have to build a special location, they only have 
to use the extra space;
b. secondly, the  officials  should  make  a  promotion  program  to 
attract more tourists in the specific area and highlight the natural 
landscapes, historical sites etc.
c. thirdly,  all  the  householders  should  join  their  efforts  in 
promoting the tourism services they are offering and to develop 
in the future entertainment facilities.
 at present, the reasons for insufficient marketing are:
a. low knowledge
b. no money
c. poor communication facilities.
3. MAKE THE  LINK  BETWEEN  THE  OWNERS  OF  TOURISM 
CAPACITIES AND PUBLIC SERVANTS 
To the marketing training organised with the householders without specifying 
that, to not be frightened, the public servants attended. So it was a reason to briefly 
train  them  in  marketing  techniques with  an  important  role  in  socio-economic 
development.
They  decided  to  issue  some  small  leaflets  with  the  natural,  historic  and 
cultural attraction from the area and to distribute them with all occasion of a stranger 
presence (official delegation, people in transit, so on). 
Anther part of the leaflets should be distributed to the householder to offer 
them to their visitors.On the other hand they agree to make efforts to have the site of the mayor hall
and to place all the information on it. The information should be available also by 
phone or direct.
We consider that a great step was made by the understanding that they should 
cooperate and the civil servants should play an active role in promoting the area.
Of course at the beginning seems that the public authority’s involvement is 
without result and the public servants efforts are without any return.
We were successful in our experiment that both parties agree to start a new 
approach and to put it o a mutual confidence base and to aim mutual benefits.
4. RE-EVALUATION THE INDICATORS
The  re-evaluation  of  the  indicators  is  irrelevant  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
experiment took place this summer and we believe that it is a necessity to offer support 
for the Christmas holiday in order to be sue that they understand what they have to do.
The most probable results could rise up sooner after the Easter holiday.
Never the less we are confident that the ice was broken and a kind of rural 
public-private partnership in rural tourism shows its potential.
Also,  the  win-win  situation  is  offered  by  the  possibility  of  changing  the 
mentality of the public servants regarding their implication and on the other hand the 
mentality of the householders that the local authority’s is not interested in supporting 
and assisting them.
REFERENCES
Book:
Danciu Victor, Grigorescu Adriana, “Marketing - theory and practice”, Editura Dacia Europa Nova, Lugoj, 
2000;
Neagu Vasile, “Romanian Economy – Services and tourism”, Editura Exert, Bucharest, 2000;
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Olteanu Valerica, “Services marketing – theory and practice”, Editura Uranus, Bucharest,1999.
Journal article:
Glavan V., “The rural tourism”, Romanian Tourism Magazine, no.4/1995 MT, ICT, Bucharest.
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