THE CURRENT STATE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY IN TOURISM IN ROMANIA Popescu Liliana, Avramescu Taina University of Craiova

THE CURRENT STATE OF SAFETY THE CURRENT STATE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY IN TOURISM AND SECURITY IN TOURISM

IN ROMANIAIN ROMANIA Popescu Liliana, Avramescu Taina

University of Craiova

1. PROFILE OF THE COUNTRY AS

TOURIST DESTINATION • Geografical position Romania is situated in the south-

eastern part of the continent, on the western shore of the Black Sea. It covers an area of more than 238,000 sqkm, with a population of approximately 21 million people.

Fig. 1 Romania’s position in Europe

1. PROFILE OF THE COUNTRY AS TOURIST DESTINATION

• Relief The relief of the country is a

varied one, including all the relief forms, which are disposed just like an amphitheatre: in the center of the country, there are the Carpathians, which surround a vast plateau; the mountains gradually descend southwards, eastwards and westwards, reaching the low altitudes from the hilly region, from the Romanian and the Western Plains and the Danube Delta. The mountains, plateaus and plains cover each one third of the national territory.

Fig. 2 Relief of the country


• ClimateDue to its position within the continent, at relatively equal distances

from the northern, eastern and western extremities, and to the presence of the Balkans in the southern part of the continent, Romania presents a moderate continental climate, but with different influences.

In the west, there predominate the western influences, with higher quantities of precipitations, while in the east there come masses of air from Eastern Europe and Siberia, causing draught and high temperatures in summer and freezing colds in winter.

In the south-western part of the country, there are sub-Mediterranean influences, with wormer winters.


• Population. Romania has a

population of about 22 million

people, with 55% living in urban

settlements.

• Romanians account for 89.5 per

cent of the population, the two

main ethnic minorities being the

Hungarians (6.6 per cent) and

the gipsies (2.5 per cent). There

are also German, Italian,

Ukrainians, Russians, Czechs,

Turks and Tatars, but their

number is very low and

continuously decreasing.


• Main towns. The capital

city is Bucharest, with

1.9 million inhabitants.

There are 320 towns,

most of them being

small and medium-sized

towns.

• The country is divided

into 41 counties and the

capital city.

Fig. 3 Main towns within Romania


• History and culture. Archaeological discoveries indicate that the Romanian territory

has been populated since 1 million years, with many vestiges of Neolithic cultures.

• The oldest towns within the country were founded on the shore of the Black Sea by

the Greeks.

• There are also numerous vestiges from the Dacians and Roman period. During the

middle ages, the history of the country was greatly influenced by the migration of

nomadic populations, the Turkish, Austrian and Russian empire.

• Consequently, there are numerous things to be seen. It is worth mentioning the

cultural and religious patrimony, with 30 monuments included in UNESCO World

Heritage (wooden churches in Maramures, painted monasteries in Moldavia, the

Dacian fortresses in the Orastie Mountains), a network of medieval towns which

conserve the historical centers quite well, as well as a great popular culture and

traditional festivals.

2. CONTRIBUTION OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY

TO THE COUNTRY AND ITS ECONOMY • Country incomes from tourism sector per year: 21.5 bn RON, which is

equivalent to approximately 5 bn € in 2008. In 2009, these activities generated 29 bn RON (World Travel & Tourism Council).

• Income from foreign tourists: In 2008, almost 1.5 million foreign tourists visited Romania, spending 4.7 bn RON, which means approximately 1.1 bn euros. Due to the quite large population (almost 22 million people), it means only 50 euros per capita (1 Romanian citizen).

• Expenditure on tourism by citizens both in Romania and abroad: The expenditures of Romanian citizens for business as well as for personal travel and tourism for 2008 were estimated at 14.3 bn RON, that is around 3.4 bn euros (according to WTTC). However, it is worth mentioning the fact that the ratio of international tourism receipts to expenditure was 1.00 in 2006, due to the many foreign visitors that came for business purposes, their expenditures being higher, thus balancing the spending of Romanian tourists abroad (Panorama on Tourism, 2008, Eurostat).

2. CONTRIBUTION OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY TO THE COUNTRY AND ITS ECONOMY

• Expenditure on tourism and travel by the government and administration: in 2008, the government spent 1.3 bn RON (300 mil. Euros) for travel and tourism. Most of them (85 per cent) were made on ‘behalf of the community at large’.

• Currently, the minister of tourism has approved a budget of 223 million RON for financing the projects for investments in the touristic infrastructure of public local authorities. There is also a governmental programme, entitled ‘Investments in Tourism’, the main purpose of which is to improve the accommodation infrastructure and the services quality from the resorts in Romania.

92%

2% 6%

other activities t&t industry t&t economy

The percentage of the country Gross National Product generated by the tourism sector: 2.2% for the travel and tourism industry and 5.9% for the travel and tourism economy.


• People directly engaged in tourism sector: 307,000 persons

• People employed in tourism-related branches: 625,500.

• People hired on a seasonal basis: There are no statistical data for the exact number of the employed workers in the tourism sector on a seasonal basis; according to the National Statistics Institute, the number of employees in hotels and restaurants augmented by only 20,000 persons during the summer season as compared to the winter. The number is definitely much higher due to the black market.

• Unemployed people with experience in tourism: The total number of the unemployed people in Romania for 2008 varies between 350 – 370,000 persons (the unemployment rate was 4% in 2008) according to the statistics. There is no clear evidence about the persons with some experience in the tourism and travel activities, due to their migration, from one place to another and abroad (Master Plan, 2007-2013).


• The investments in the sector: 8.2 bn RON (1.9 bn euros), which accounts for only 7.3 per cent of the total investments (World Travel and Tourism Council). Most of them were made for hotels and accommodation facilities.

• Number of tour operators and travel agents: According to the Master Plan, in 2007 there were 2638 companies that were attested as tour-operators and tourism agencies.

•Comparison between the total number of counties in Romania and the number of those possessing a tourism potential: Romania has 41 counties and nearly 60% of them have huge potential for tourism. The municipalities in 3 geographic regions: North-Central, South- Central and South- Eastern have the biggest potential for tourism.

2. CONTRIBUTION OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY TO

THE COUNTRY AND ITS ECONOMY

Main directions and trends

• Romania is an emerging country on the map of main tourist destinations, as well as for the origin of touristic flows. Since the number of foreign visitors is not significant, Romania’s tourism depends heavily on the domestic demand.

• The main problems are the poor infrastructure of the country, which is a must for any future sustainable development of tourist activities, as well as the services offered, the hospitality sector requiring a well trained and specialized personnel, having the proper attitude and mentality.

• There is no direct information about the volume of inbound and outbound tourism, most of the figures being estimated.


Main directions and trends

• in 2009 tourism activities contributed to 2.1 per cent of the direct industry and 5.9 per cent of the total GDP.

• studies indicate a decline of the travel and tourism activities to the GDP (4 per cent of the direct industry GDP and 2.4 per cent in the economy GDP) and to the economy employment (by 7 per cent) in the year 2009

• between 2010 and 2019, the travel and tourism economy is expected to grow by 6% annually. Thus means a more steady growth than that of the European Union, estimated at 2.7% / year and 4% worldwide.

• 46 projects for investments in tourism financed by the Ministry of Tourism, mainly dealing with the high mountain areas, the project ‘Skiing in Romania’, balneary tourism, tourism on the seaside and the Danube Delta.

3. POSSIBILITIES FOR TRAINING SPECIALISTS IN THE TOURISM SECTOR AND

DEVELOPMENT OF A SKILLED WORKFORCE

• Vocational and high schools, colleges and universities in tourism area

Tourism as main specialization is taught in 30 universities (19 of them state-owned universities and 11 as private universities), spread throughout the country. Most often, the Faculties of Economics have a specialization named The economy of commerce, tourism and services or Management of commercial companies and tourism.

There are 14 vocational and high schools which offer study programmes for tourism, the most frequent qualifications being tourism agent or technician in tourism.

There is also an institutionalized system for the programmes of ‘adults’ continuous professional training’ , held by the National Center for Touristic Teaching, under the responsibility of the National Authority for Tourism. One of the leading institutions contracted by the Center for training courses is Tourism, Hotel & Restaurant Consulting Group (according to their presentation, there were approximately 20,000 trained people in 10 years).

The Royal Institute of Hotel Management created a post graduate diploma program in collaboration with Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland.



• The average number of graduates of colleges and universities in tourism area per year

- approximately 1600 graduates on Bachelor Level, - 200 on Master - around 700 in high schools and vocational centers.

- Although the number of graduates may seem high, it is estimated that less than 20% of the graduates from universities or vocational schools with touristic programs end up working in the sector of hospitality and tourism in Romania.



Recently, the need for qualified personnel has increased due to the high number of hotels and other accommodation establishments recently built, all of them requiring trained staff, on the one hand, and to migration, on the other hand.

However, the formal education for hospitality services is not well developed, because the training courses are only partially included in the curricula for vocational schools and universities. The training curricula for the hospitality sector do not include the practical knowledge and skills needed for this kind of activities.

‘there is no acknowledgment for the need of training and there is no educational culture’.



• System for informal vocational training and certification of competences in tourism area

There is hardly any informal or non-institutionalized education. There is almost no continuous training, directly at the working place. Although some important chain hotels do have their own training programmes, the efficiency is very low due to staff migration.

• System for unformal vocational training and certification of competencies it tourism area: There is no such system in Romania.

The accordance of Training Safety and Security in the vocational and high schools, colleges and universities in the tourism area

with the existing needs of the country

• Tourism is a priority domain of Romania’s economy. The quality of the touristic products must be a strategic component and a key factor for the promotion of the country on the international market, Since tourists’ demands for safety and security are ever higher, there is need for more efforts for the tourist’s protection, by guarantying both the quality and the security of the touristic destinations and packages.

• Laws for the protection of tourists:• The law 58/ 1998 regarding the Organization and unfolding of tourism activity in

Romania (according to Art. 24 ‘economic agents in tourism must use for services that imply some responsibilities for the protection of tourist only authorized personnel, according to the regulations of the Ministry of Tourism);

• The government decision 237/2001 approving the Norms regarding the access, evidence and protection of tourists in accommodation establishments (art. 1 (3) ‘the administrations of structures of tourist reception must insure the order, as well as the security of tourists and their belongings’).

• Within the Ministry of Tourism, there is the General Direction for Control and Tourists’ Safety. One of the objectives of the National Center for Touristic Teaching is also to ensure the safety of the tourists as consumers of services and goods.



• The issue of safety and security in tourism is quite vaguely dealt with in the curricula of the universities and vocational schools. Most often, there is no subject directly addressing this matter, but rather some optional courses regarding the quality of products and the protection of consumers, having as a special topic the protection of service consumers – the protection of tourists.

• The existing training curricula for the hospitality sector are improper most of the time and the teaching staff lacks the qualifications and practical experience. Most of the training courses for tourism do not aim for practical skills. ‘Getting the diploma is more important than the skills acquired’, due to the work legislation approved in 2006, stipulating that whoever intends to apply for a function in the sector of hospitality and tourism must hold a proper diploma or certificate.



• There is almost no separate and specialized formal training and education in the hospitality sector. The training institutions are not accustomed to the training depending on the demands, taking into consideration the needs of the market. Generally, the hired staff in travel and tourism activities does not have the practical skills and knowledge for carrying out activities at international standards. The issue of safety and security in tourism is generally disregarded.

• In order to improve the situation, and to have a personnel that is trained well enough and motivated, there is an urgent need for updated curricula and courses, as well as well informed and experienced training staff. The results and experiences of other countries in this domain may well be used, taking into consideration some specific aspects of the country. Romania is an emerging country from the international tourist destinations point of view and it can only assert its place among the main destinations in the continent if it is perceived as a safe destination, among other things. That is why it is very important to have a good training for the safety and security in tourism.

RESULTS OF CONTROLLED INTERVIEWS WITH EXPERTS – SUMMARY, GENERALIZATIONS AND

CONCLUSIONS

• In order to have a more comprehensive picture of the situation and perception of the safety and security issue in tourism, managers in tourism SME’s and academic personnel were interviewed.

• The analysis of their answers indicate that their opinion is the same.

RESULTS OF CONTROLLED INTERVIEWS WITH EXPERTS – SUMMARY, GENERALIZATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

1. Tourism safety – for whom it is the most important: tourism operators, tourism agencies, clients, other?

Safety is important for all the factors involved in tourism activities (first of all for the clients, but for the tour-operators and agents as well), because the main objective is to ensure the client’s safety and finally his satisfaction.

2. Are the aspects of tourism safety considered in programs of the charter tourism operators?

The aspects of tourism safety must be taken into account, since once a client buys a touristic product or package, the company that offered it is fully responsible for all the aspects of the tourist safety.

3. What knowledge and skills are required for sales agents to inform the clients properly about tourism safety?

Sales agents must have detailed knowledge about the touristic services offered, about the legislation, as well as communication skills in order to be able to give the client not only this information, but also the feeling of comfort and safety the client must have when the agent answers his questions.


4. How would you describe the interest of clients about the aspects of safety of their trip: their physical security, formalities regarding the trip etc.?

Depending on the age, education and temper, the interest of the tourists for the safety of their trip varies. Although they ask questions about this issue (which most of the time refer to the health insurance, if it covers any accident that may occur and their amount), tourists are often imprudent.

• Most tourists choose the offers where everything is well organized from the very beginning until the end of the trip, which induce a feeling of comfort and safety.


5. Which client groups should be particularly consulted about the aspects of safety of their trip?

All the groups of tourists can and should be consulted (national and international tourists, the young and the old, having different jobs), since there should be made no difference between tourists regarding the safety of the trip. Although there are more challenging groups, like the old or the young people, there should be made no discrimination.

The first condition for a tourist to be satisfied by whatever package of service is that he should arrive safe and sound to the trip destination and then take advantage of the services offered in that particular destination, in the same climate of comfort and safety. Any inconvenience or discomfort as a result of the trip to the chosen destination will certainly influence, in a negative way, the way tourists perceive the next products and services.


6. Why there is a need for defining new priorities and aspects of tourism safety, in order to ensure the quality of tourism service and products?

Defining new priorities of tourism safety is an important criterion, which is not yet emphasized in Romania. The size of tourist flows and income from touristic activities require a constant reevaluation of the standards for the products the companies are offering and the quality of services, since the final beneficiary – the tourist, is always judging and classifying things.

Worldwide, the threats and dangers are more frequent, and consequently tourists are becoming more aware of the necessity of a safety destination. The standards of the EU imply some demands that should be met by any touristic activity. In order to meet these demands, at least at a reasonable level, there must be drawn an action plan that should take into consideration the Romanian realities, which are clearly influenced by the existing economic conditions.


7. What do tourism organisations (tourism agencies, tourism operators, etc.) do for the protection and safety of tourists’ rights?

Tourism agencies are signing contracts both with the companies that are offering the transport means, accommodation, food, and with the clients as well. Tourism organizations generally select and offer only the touristic products and destinations that ensure the clients’ safety and security.

8. How can the aspect of tourism safety improve the image of the country?

Foreign tourists are educated in the spirit of touristic safety, and when choosing a particular destination, this aspect is of utmost importance. The image of the country or any touristic destination depends on the quality of the touristic products, which include not only the natural patrimony or the economic environment, but also the social and political climate, state order and citizens’ safety.


9. In what way the contribution of the tourism industry to the country and its economics could be improved?

The role and contribution of tourism to the GDP greatly depends on the international arrivals, which in their turn are linked to the infrastructure and service quality. For years, people have been talking about the important role that tourism has for the economic recovering of the country.

The Romanian government has paid a lot of money to receive development strategies, master plans, even some country brands were launched, and afterwards, we gave them up. There are almost 20 years since these studies should have been put into practice within a coherent development plan. At least now, when we have both strategies and tourist brands, someone should assume the responsibility for putting them into practice.

The infrastructure and existing accommodation facilities should be the starting point, parallel to some new investments.


10. What perspective do you see for Romania as the final destination of a trip?

Everyone agrees that Romania possesses a great touristic potential. If the authorities have a coherent policy for capitalizing this potential, Romania could become an important destination in just few years. Romania must begin to attract once again the clients from Central and Eastern Europe, which not so long ago had the largest share of the international tourists that visited the country.

11. How will tourism destinations and client behavior change in the nearest future, in your opinion?

Although everyone speaks about the economic crisis, people are still travelling, they want to relax, to take care of their health in the well-known spa resorts, but their budget is somewhat lower. The destinations that will be able to adapt their offers to the demands of the touristic market, which is constantly changing and diversifying, will definitely take advantage. The behaviour will change by paying greater attention to details and higher expectations regarding the quality of services provided.


12. How does the image of the country affect the behavior and the sense of safety of the client when choosing the destination of the trip?

If a country is seen as insecure, due to terrorist attacks and political regime or

wars, it will definetly not be chosen as touristic destination. For the other countries, the safety of the trip and things to be seen are most

important.

13. How do you see the development of the tourism industry in Europe in the current economic situation?

The economic recession affects tourism as well, regardless of the level of economic development. However, Europe will remain one of the most popular destinations in the world, due to its cultural heritage and natural conditios as well, being the ‚engine ’ of tourism development.

Thank you!

Documents

THE CURRENT STATE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY IN TOURISM IN ROMANIA Popescu Liliana, Avramescu Taina University of Craiova