Visitors’ increasing interest in nature-based and cultural tourism, especially in the context of ecotourism destinations, has generated a heated debate in tourism literature. Some authors consider that ecotourism should be approached through a niche strategy rather than through mass marketing. Therefore, identifying the main characteristics of visitors to ecotourism destinations is very important in setting management and marketing strategies adapted to their specific needs. The present paper aims to identify the profile of visitors to Romanian ecotourism destinations, considering the ecotourism potential of this country and the scarcity of empirical studies on these types of destinations. To reach this aim, a survey was conducted in four Romanian ecotourism destinations. By computing the data collected from a sample of 1157 visitors, four visitor segments have been identified based on a single characteristic (visit purpose). Crosstabulation and Chi-square analysis were used in order to identify the profiles of these segments. The results reveal that most of respondents are nature travellers, followed by culture travellers. The findings may be used by ecotourism destination managers in order to target specific market segments and establish proper management and marketing strategies.

Among the most important factors that favor the development of a sustainable business environment are the sources of financing and the skills developed by the higher education system, according to recent studies. To align with these, several universities have started providing entrepreneurship knowledge. Are these sufficiently well-known by the students in Romania? The current paper aims to carry out an in-depth analysis of concepts. The primary objective of this study is to explore the most relevant sources of entrepreneurial financing in the context of a sustainable entrepreneurial higher education. For such an endeavor, quantitative research was conducted, being designed and distributed through a questionnaire. Data were collected from a sample of 285 students of Transilvania University in Brasov interested in entrepreneurship. Results indicate that the main sources of entrepreneurial financing are retained earnings/profit, personal sources, supplier credits, European funds, loans (bank credits), leasing, and business angels. Evidence shows that most respondents assert great confidence in European funds. Notably, the entrepreneurial qualities of the founder are one of the enablers of a successful and sustainable business. Additionally, this research opens new ways of collaboration between the academic and the business environment to better train future professionals in the economic field.

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