The Dissonance Tourist Demand Prices. The Evolution of Romanian Tourist Packages to Turkey and Egypt Destination, During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The travel industry and tourism can rightly be considered the most affected branches of the global economy in the COVID-19 era, the tourism market registering the sharpest post-war decline with significant disruptions to the supply-demand ratio. An analysis of the tourist offers promoted by two of the most prolific tour operators in Romania states a strategic endurance approach based on psychological prices easily predictable, but focused on regaining a large segment of Romanian tourists who before 2020 practiced outgoing tourism . Turkey and Egypt are considered the destinations of the pandemic moment, the most appreciated in a state of continuous uncertainty, insecurity and reluctance to travel. During the years 2019-2020, the price offers of the Romanian tour operators did not register major changes, even if the outgoing tourist packages experienced, in full pandemic, conjunctural oscillations with reasonable decreases of prices followed, in some places, by price increases meant to suggest an intensification of tourist consumption with the lifting of the lockdown in various countries and the announcement of the first measures of social relaxation. The measures regarding the vaccination and the immunization of the population determined the Romanian tourists to react positively to the inner, urgent desire to travel regardless of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the temporary restrictions determined by it.

The “Sustainable Destination Structure” for Sustainable Tourist Demand - Selective Marketing for Sustainable Tourism Demand for Unpolluted Areas

Observing the recent developments of the demand for tourist products, we notice some very important changes in the tourists’ preferences of consumption toward a different sense of quality, asking for new quality models based on virginity, pure nature, highly maintained clean spaces, authenticity, cultural heritage and high responsibility and consciousness on sustainability. The natural environment represents the main resource to this demand on many tourism destinations. This is related to the fact that tourists increasingly are interested in spending their holidays in unspoiled natural territories. To this end, destination managers recently are under increased pressure to improve their eco-quality, maximize the hygiene, as well as to implement ecologically sustainable practices and systems. Based and stimulated by this evidence, a process of selective targeting/segmentation of tourist market could be an approach to sustainable destination management, both generally in the international market, but very promising to the Albanian case of the tourist sector future development, focusing at the region of Elbasan. Considering and analyzing the ecological footprint of Albania, and particularly that of Elbasan region, this paper will try to test these possibilities. To observe the feasibility of this approach, the study will be focused on tourists, between Albanians and foreign visitors, regarding their main reasons of returning in the same destinations. The questions to be treated will be mainly focused on the quality of the tourist services, the environmentally friendly behavior, as well as psychographic, behavioral, and socio-demographic personal characteristics of the tourists. Focusing and deepening in sustainable tourism destinations’ management could foster the increase in the number of day-vacations for one year, strongly also influencing the normal development of the supporting industries. This asks for techniques which focus on eco-tourism and sustainability at the destinations, even why the tourist himself generally may not necessarily be interested in protecting and caring to the local environment. In conclusion, the study confirms the increasing trend of the orientation of the tourist demand toward unpolluted destinations and attractions, as well as the tendency to safeguard the environment and to use sustainable tourist resources

THE URBAN PROFILES OF PEACE TOURISM IN ARAB CITIES: OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY. CASE STUDY: AS-SALT (JORDAN) AND CONSTANTINE (ALGERIA) CITIES

Tourism is not only considered as a stimulator for the social and economic development for countries, but also it contributes in spreading peace and enhancing negotiation, comprehension, and exchanging cultures among people in the light of the increased tourist demand. Arab countries confronted fluctuation and instability in the number of tourist arrivals due to security disturbances, conflicts and the vanishing of peace opportunities. In this regard, this research reveals the urban features for some Arab countries in achieving peace tourism because it is considered as touristic destinations that enhance heritage tourism due to the existence of the whole touristic features. The study sheds the lights on both As-Salt (Jordan) and Constantine (Algeria) cities. For the purpose of highlighting the opportunities of peace tourism by its urban features for changing towards sustainability by adopting that combine tourism development, peace building, and heritage conservation in both Arab cities. The researchers also required the development of certain tactical techniques to attain clear results in the research, the study relied on qualitative research in reviewing many documents and research related to both tourism and peace. In addition, field investigations contributed to providing data and information during the period from (2015-2018), like that the observation and interviews conducted with the local community in both cities. Results of the research, represented mainly in the presence of opportunities for peace tourism, which are reinforced by the specificity of the urban characteristics of the two cities, and its clear role in establishing a culture of peace, understanding, dialogue and exchange of cultures, which requires defining a model for the relationship between the development of tourism, peace and heritage in the cities of Salt and Constantine and which is based on tourism planning with the effective participation of different stakeholders.

Analysis of the Relationship between Tourist Demand and Sustainable Development Indicators in the Context of the Danube River in the Romanian Trajectory

Practice has shown that tourism is an activity with a global spread, and sustainable development being a concept with global applicability, the intersection of the two elements is considered inevitable. Both elements are commensurable, which makes it possible to study them and analyze the relationships that arise from cohabitation in the economic and social environment. The purpose of this study is to find out to what extent the variation of tourism demand is influenced by the variation of some indicators of sustainable development. A multifactorial regression model was used, in which the number of tourists represents the dependent variable, and the number of unemployed, the natural increase of the population and the existing accommodation capacity are independent variables. For data processing, the Eviews statistical software was used. The greatest impact on the number of tourists is manifested by the existing accommodation capacity, and overall, the variation of the dependent variable is explained in proportion of 83% by the variation of the independent variables.

EXPLORING TOURIST EXPENDITURES OF THE GJIROKASTRA DISTRICT IN ALBANIA: A CLUSTER ANALYSIS

Tourism expenditures are an important indicator for measuring the impact of tourism on a destination. Information taken from the micro data of tourism expenditures, together with other socio-demographic characteristics of visitors, provides important data on the tourist demand for a destination. Visitor costs in combination with other variables can be used to profile the demand for tourist goods and services in the destination area. In this paper, the daily expenses of visitors in the Gjirokastra district of Albania are analysed. The Gjirokastra district is one of the more preferred regions and attracts a considerable number of domestic and foreign visitors, because it offers a diversity tourist attractions and services. For the purposes of this study, a survey of 200 visitors was conducted. The survey results were analysed with descriptive statistics via a cluster analysis. The survey provides detailed data on the daily expenses of visitors, divided into six main categories of a typical travel budget. Through the use of data mining cluster analysis, we identified and analysed the tourists’ daily expenses based on the purpose of their visit to the area of Gjirokaster.

Determining Interrelationship Between Factors Impacting Foreign Direct Investment in Tourism: An ISM-based Approach

The burgeoning spectrum of tourist demand and changing tastes and preferences calls for developing the nation’s tourism profile. India, one of the fastest-growing economies and a potential attractor of tourists, is estimated to be the world’s third-largest tourism economy by 2028 (as per World Tourism and Travel Council [WTTC] estimates) and is expected to draw massive investment in this sector. Thus, the present study aims to analyse various factors impacting foreign flows in the tourism sector and develops a hierarchical structure among the identified factors through the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) technique. A MICMAC (Matrix of Cross-Impact Multiplications Applied to Classification) analysis is performed to categorise the identified factors based on the driving power and dependence level. The interrelationships among the variables were derived from the opinion gardened from 50 research and industry experts. The results showed that political stability plays a critical component in driving other variables in the system. Also, a stable system is likely to impact the economic environment of a nation positively, thus, creating a desirable profile for investors to invest in tourism businesses or the development of destinations.

Greece will seek to profit from pent-up tourist demand

Significance Despite a stronger-than-expected performance by the Greek hospitality sector during the summer months, 2021 will be a challenging year. The government hopes that it will return to pre-pandemic levels ahead of its competitors as early as next year, when the season will be officially extended to March-November. Impacts A high level of uncertainty will delay new private investments in the Greek tourism sector. The rising number of tourists will necessitate additional infrastructure investment in 2022-23. An increased demand for tourism services will support the construction sector next year.

The role of tourism in the economy. The formation of tourist flows to the ASEAN countries

In the presented article on the base of statistical data from the World Tourism and Travel Council, the World Tourism Organization, the ASEAN Statistical Yearbook, and the official websites of national tourism organizations of the ASEAN countries the impact of tourism on the economy of the ASEAN countries is assessed. The region’s tourist demand and supply are analyzed. The factors of the formation of the main tourist flows from Asia-Pacific, European, American and Australia and Oceania macroregions are studied.

WAYS TO IMPROVE THE ORGANIZATIONAL AND ECONOMIC MECHANISMS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HOTEL AND TOURISM BUSINESS

Being one of the largest highly profitable and dynamically developing sectors of the world economy, tourism has a significant impact on changes in the structure of the national and regional economy, the strategy and tactics of institutional transformations and the implementation of socio-economic policy. The purpose of the study is to study and develop new theoretical and basic mechanisms for improving the organizational and economic plan for the development of the block market of tourist services in the region. This is an updated justification of the concept of "tourist region" as the foundation for the development of tourist services at the regional level and the identification of consumer tourist demand chains, - the study of models of the development of the tourist market and the burp of hotel services in the region, as well as the identification of features of improving the organizational and economic mechanism for the development of hotel services in the region.

Geoconservation in the Cabeço da Ladeira Paleontological Site (Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Nature Park, Portugal): Exquisite Preservation of Animals and Their Behavioral Activities in a Middle Jurassic Carbonate Tidal Flat

The Cabeço da Ladeira paleontological site in central Portugal became known as the “Jurassic Beach”. Formerly an active quarry, the site was protected in order to preserve the large exposures of a Middle Jurassic (early? Bajocian) carbonate tidal flat with an outstanding fossil record. This multidisciplinary paleontological work involving experts from several national and international research and geoconservation institutions was carried out under the umbrella of the Institute for Nature Conservation (ICNF), since this geosite is located within the Serras de Aire e Candeeiros nature park. Cabeço da Ladeira has provided exquisitely preserved body fossils, especially echinoderms, together with the exceptional preservation of their, and other, animal’s behaviors. It is also a hotspot to understand the diversity of bivalves in the Middle Jurassic. Due to the large area of the geosite, the international relevance of the findings, and the risk of weathering and destruction of the fossils, a geoconservation plan has been developed by ICNF with the support of local authorities. After several years of being open to visitors without proper control, the Cabeço da Ladeira paleontological site is now conditioned to organized groups of researchers, schools, and tourists. Some body fossils were collected for studies and included in the national collections of the Geological Museum (Lisbon). Moreover, casts have been made to protect holotypes of trace fossils, also providing ways to replicate this fossil record in temporary exhibitions. A long-term experimental study to conserve the limestone bedding plane exposures and their fossil contents was started in order to develop the best geoconservation strategy with an aim to reduce the damage produced by the increasing tourist demand on natural sites. Cabeço da Ladeira and other geosites in protected areas are key to communicating an evolutionary approach to environmental education, and their geoconservation must be a priority to improve their long-term use as (geo)tourism attractions.