An Insight into Gastronomic Tourism through the Literature Published between 2012 and 2022

The proposed approach—geotourism, a new medium- and long-term post-pandemic recovery perspective—provides a theoretical foundation for future research regarding the interactions between tourism agencies and tourists, visitors and landforms, as well as cooperation and support between local residents and tourists, for Bucegi Natural Park. In the current context, the nature monuments and nature reserves within the park are located in rural and urban areas. These can be capitalized and included directly in the tourism agencies’ supply, and they can be used for zonal and regional development without degrading the surrounding environment. The “Babele and the Sphinx” landmarks with interesting shapes offer benefits for the development of geotourism in the Romanian landscape. In addition to those listed previously, this study proposes and analyses the image of the geotourism destination and a slogan for the international promotion of the park. Thus, the research presents two sources of data collection: (1) primary data, i.e., those obtained following a questionnaire and analysed with the help of the SPSS Statistics software, version 15.0, and (2) secondary statistical data from the database of the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) that are available and constantly updated. Another method used with a significant impact on tourism analysis was represented using the Geographic Information System (GIS). With its help, we mapped the tourist routes and the two elements, nature reserves and nature monuments within the park, that constitute the basis of the geotourism relaunch after COVID-19. The final objective of the paper is to strengthen the role of travel agencies in promoting geotourism by offering visits to tourist attractions in the park.

Section: Data Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geotourism, a New Perspective of Post-COVID-19-Pandemic Relaunch through Travel Agencies—Case Study: Bucegi Natural Park, Romania

Desculțu Grigore,

Niță,

Drăguleasa

et al. 2024

“…Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in the present study to fulfil the objectives of the research: (1) consolidation of specialized literature, (2) proposing a model of the prosperity of urban destinations in Romania, (3) identification of indicators on the four spheres of sustainability that can be applied to medium-large cities in Romania, and (4) investigating the forms of tourism that can bring prosperity to the sphere of attractiveness in the city. Thus, with regard to the qualitative research methods that were used, we have the analysis of documents and the development of a new paradigm by proposing a relatively new concept, prosperity in tourism, through desk research [79][80][81], and for the quantitative research methods we used the statistical-mathematical analysis.…”

Section: Data Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fostering Urban Destination Prosperity through Post COVID-19 Sustainable Tourism in Craiova, Romania

Mazilu,

Niță,

Drăguleasa

et al. 2023

In accordance with the 2030 Agenda, the prosperity of tourist destinations holds a crucial role in the sustainable development of urban areas. Tourism represents an imperative solution in transitioning from survival to success after the COVID-19 pandemic. The stakeholders in the field should introduce new tourism forms that enable a more comprehensive strategy for managing and developing responsible tourism, bringing into focus new skills, resources, and levels for change to develop resilience, urban community satisfaction, and the unique intrinsic attraction of each tourist destination in Romania. This study develops a model of prosperity for urban tourist destinations, which can be applied to medium-large cities in Romania. We propose for the city of Craiova the use and identification of four spheres of sustainability, which in turn have a set of 17 indicators. The research method used to determine the indicators has two stages: (1) the analysis of the specialized literature to identify the appropriate indicators for an urban destination and (2) statistical analyzes and interviews with internal stakeholders (residents), which present their tourist perspective of the city. This article tackles an innovative concept, called prosperity and innovation in Craiova tourism, which can be implemented in all tourism niches and brings new development perspectives that correspond to the norms of sustainable development and their direction towards sustainability. The article addresses the concept of prosperity in tourism and contains information about: the definition of prosperity, the concept of prosperity (an engine of innovation in tourism and its implications), but also perspectives for a prosperous tourism policy in Craiova tourism.

“…In order to create the interactive maps, four consecutive stages were carried out with the help of the Geographical Information System software [67]. First, (1) we gathered and created the database for the analysis of counties in Romania, more precisely an office documentation [68][69][70][71][72]; then, (2) we processed the county and national statistical data;…”

Section: Data Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatio-Temporal Distribution and Trends of Major Agricultural Crops in Romania Using Interactive Geographic Information System Mapping

Drăguleasa,

Niță,

Mazilu

et al. 2023

This research study presents the spatio-temporal distribution of the main agricultural crops in Romania using a modern digitalisation technique, namely interactive GIS mapping. Interactive GIS mapping includes various features specific to the development of sustainable Romanian agriculture, including the arable area of Romania, information on the area (hectares) cultivated with corn, wheat, sunflower, and rape during the 1990–2018 period, the degree of mechanisation, the number of tractors, and information regarding the landforms, a natural factor in relation to cultivated surfaces. Agricultural land should be properly used based on its ability to meet the demands of consumers of traditional Romanian products with an ecological label, but also the needs of the local population, and, at the same time, to ensure the sustainability of the natural environment through the practice of ecological agriculture. The purpose of this research is to provide an overview of the current state of the main agricultural crops in Romania. From a theoretical but also practical point of view, this research presents, for the first time, a retrospective analysis of each county in Romania in terms of the geospatial distribution of major agricultural crops using interactive GIS mapping. Geospatial data were processed in ArcGIS Geographic Information System 10.7.2. The results of this study show that the most extensive cereal areas at the county level in Romania are corn and wheat. The largest areas cultivated with corn and wheat in 2018 were recorded in the Western Plain, the Romanian Plain, and the Moldavian Plateau. For wheat, increases were also recorded in the Dobrogea Plateau. The intensification of labour productivity and the promotion of the sustainability of the natural environment in Romania is presented through the main indicator (the number of tractors) of the degree of mechanisation of agriculture. The higher values of this indicator are in the counties of Bihor, Timiș, and Maramureș. Limitations in Romania’s agricultural data present substantial challenges to the sector’s development and sustainability. Addressing these challenges is essential for informed decision making, policy formulation, and effective resource allocation.