“Challenges and opportunities in the tourism industry within the context of globalization”, Roundtable hosted by the Romanian-American University’s Senate Hall on May 15, 2013…
“Challenges and opportunities in the tourism industry within the context of globalization”, this was the focus of the round table that took place on May 15, 2013, in Bucharest, at the Romanian-American University (RAU), Senate Hall. The special event attracted distinguished representatives from academia, scientific and professional organizations, tourism business, as well as authorities, and the last but not least students and master students (also former students), all of them contributing to building a fresh dialogue that facilitated posing questions and learning from one another while also conveying scientific and practical information.
The Vice Rector Doinița Ciocîrlan opened the event and invited contributors to explore the possibilities for a cooperation between academia and tourism business, by developing an adequate environment in identifying the proper link between the challenges of the University (including maintaining the right direction in developing the full potential of its students) and those of the tourism business, and the best way of action in addressing instruments that can enhance this necessary cooperation.
Event (moderated by Monica Paula Rațiu, the Vice Dean of the RAU School of Domestic and International Economy of Tourism) schedule speaks for itself: Petru Filip, Member of the Board of the Romanian Distribution Committee – „Tourism and the imperative of concrete, pragmatic and achievable actions aiming building sustainable relationships between brands and people, helping to promote Romanian country brand”; Alexandru T. Bogdan, Romanian Academy, Theodor Valentin Purcărea, Romanian-American University – “Tourism at ECO-BIO-DIPLOMACY times, the new concept for intelligent sustainable development in a globalized world, in the context of eco-bio-economy”; Nicolae Albu, General Manager of Aro-Palace Braşov Group, and Director of Tourism and Hospitality Department of the Romanian Distribution Committee (RDC) – „Redesign, collaboration, innovation and performance measurement”; Ionuț Negoiță, President of RIN Group – „A business model designed to create value requested by the client, ensuring the balance between re-innovation and complexity” (“Balancing re-innovation and complexity”); Răzvan Andrei Nacea, Managing Director Seytour Medical Tourism (Seytour International Corporation), and Spokesperson of the National Association of the Travel Agencies in Romania (ANAT) - “Medical turism – a new engine for Romanian tourism development”; Raluca Cristina Purcărea, Director General, Cosmo Travel – „Visit-Romania.com” (“Personal services for a great journey”); Ion Andrei, Director General CEDES Research Development, Founding President of the Association for Services Quality, Vice President of the Employers Association of Training Providers from Romania (FPTR) – “The evolution of the << consumer protection >> concept in the context of globalization”; Mihail Teodor Purcărea, Cosmo Travel/Decar Studios Project Manager – “Technological changes in global tourism. Launching own application for Apple mobile and tablets, as well as for those compatibles with Android”.
Let us also mention some qualitative contributions of other distinguished participants in the lively debate: Iulian Cristache, Member of the Board of the Romanian Distribution Committee; Ion Bulborea, Professor Emeritus, Romanian-American University; Radu Titus Marinescu, Member of the Board of the Romanian Distribution Committee; Emilia Gabroveanu, Dean of the RAU School of Domestic and International Economy of Tourism; Cezar Mihălcescu, Director, Department of Tourism Services Management, RAU School of Domestic and International Economy of Tourism, Marian Florin Busuioc, Gina Gilet Sztruten, Ioana Patrichi, Cerasela Munteanu, Catrinel Dridea, Roxana Elena Stan, Andreea Manoliu, Beatrice Sion, and other representatives of the RAU School of Domestic and International Economy of Tourism.
The lively debate revealed that ensuring the long-term protection of the socio-natural environment, while being challenged to sustain economic growth and overcoming the inherent difficulties of the market’s evolution within the general framework of the economic and financial crisis, is not a simple matter for any industry these days. It is well known that tourism (considered being both, the forerunner of the globalization system and the actual supplier of innovative approaches to touring the globalized world in full rapid evolution of market integration and consumer travel conveniences) and globalization (that encourages growth in tourist activities across socio-economic, political, and geographic divides) feed off each other, considering on one hand, the changes in communication patterns, the technological enhancements, the new types of markets and business concepts (low or high globalization profile; strategic alliances in business networking relations), and the other hand, the necessary investment and financial approaches and the necessary adjustments in tourism and governance initiatives accordingly.
In her closing remarks, the Vice Rector Doinița Ciocîrlan underlined that strengthening the connection between academia and tourism business, by harmonizing the academic interest with the demands of businesses through a structured dialogue is a good idea, saluting the formation on this event occasion of the “Roundtable 1 Group of Tourism Initiative” and the commitment in understanding the implications of globalization on business and governance, and in the necessary team work in order to elaborate recommendations for strategic approaches that tourism planners may pursue in response to challenges and opportunities in the tourism industry within the context of globalization.