Marketing. Exhibitions

Transcription

1 Tourism in Romania

2 Content Marketing... Promotion... Exhibitions... Information and promotional materials... Public relations... Events... Online promotion... Health tourism... Ecotourism... The Carpathian Convention... Implementation of international projects... Implementation of projects financed from European funds... Training... Unlocking the budget allocated for investments in tourism infrastructure... Destination management organizations... Tourist arrivals and overnight stays in accomodation structures cumulatively for 10 months, during Arrivals of foreign visitors at the border, cumulatively cumulatively for 10 months, during Arrivals of tourists in accomodation structures, cumulatively for 10 months, during Arrivals of foreign tourists in accommodation structures in the first 10 months of Tourist reception structures with tourist accommodation... Approval and control... Normative acts drafts / normative acts implemented

3 Marketing In 2016, with their own resources, experts within the National Authority for Tourism have developed Vision for the Development and Marketing of the National Authority for Tourism, a program document that defines the objectives and actions necessary to transform Romania into a competitive tourist destination, adapted to the requirements of one of the most dynamic and pretentions markets in the world, undertaken and submitted as a draft for an official Government Decision. The strategy is the starting point for outlining some development areas based on quality, by implementing a quality certification system within tourist destinations and by improving the training and qualification of human resources, the action spectrum being very broad, taking into account all tourism actors, underlying the importance of each one of them in defining the visitor s experience, and, moreover, the need for collaboration to achieve the common goal. The overall objective is to stimulate the interest of potential tourists to spend their holidays in tourist areas in the country, by increasing Romania s reputation as a quality tourist destination, by increasing the attractiveness of key forms of tourism and by developing sustainable tourism as an engine for local and national economic growth. Promotion For strategic reasons, tourism promotion activities were mainly focused on priority markets, based on the number of tourists arriving in Romania (Germany, France, Italy, USA, Austria, UK / Ireland, Russia, Hungary), as well as on opportunity/ emerging ones (Spain, Poland, Israel etc.), but tourist promotion actions were also made in other countries outside Europe participation in specific important exhibitions and events (e.g. India, China). Given the importance of the Tour & Travel Warsaw exhibition on the polish market, to which is added the invitation of the TTWarsaw organizers for Romania to participate as Partner Country in the 2016 edition, the invitation being also supported by the Romanian Embassy in Warsaw, The National Authority for Tourism participated during November 24-26, 2016, in the 24 th edition of this event, with a 200sqm stand. As partner country, the National Authority for Tourism held a Festive Gala for about 500 people local personalities, ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps, businessmen, tour operators, journalists, etc. The presence of the National Authority for Tourism at International Fairs in Germany, Austria, Italy, and the UK was complemented by additional promotion and networking actions with potential partners in the markets concerned, by organizing cocktails, gala dinners or working lunches. Exhibitions During 2016, the National Authority for Tourism participated in 36 external exhibitions, on 3 continents, in 23 countries. We mention some of the most important: the International Tourism Fair FITUR (Feria Internacional de Turismo) 2016, Spain; the International Tourism Fair ITB, Germany; the 1

4 International Tourism Fair TT Warsaw, Poland - Romania was a partner country; the International Tourism Fair WTM, UK. The National Authority for Tourism also participated in 10 Tourism Fairs held in 8 representative cities for tourism development in Romania (Bucharest, Bacău, Baia Mare, Brașov, Constanța, Iași, Ploiești, Timișoara). In the International Tourism Fair Tour & Travel Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland, which took place during November 24-26, 2016, Romania s pavilion received the top prize in the Homo Turisticus contest, for the most original and professional stand, whose concept presented as faithfully as possible the tourism products promoted at the stand. Within the International Tourism Fair Intourmarket 2016, held in Moscow (March 19 22, 2016), The National Authority for Tourism was awarded for this year s participation by the Federal Agency for Tourism in Russia and by the fair organizers, the Expotour company. On September 28, 2016, the National Authority for Tourism representatives in Moscow were awarded the diploma For activity on the tourist market in Russia, in the Association of Tour Operators of Russia ATOR Travel Awards the only prize given by professionals in tourism industry to the most active foreign tourism representatives on the Russian market. In the ITB Berlin 2016, Romania was awarded the 10 th place for Best Exhibitor, Europe category. Under this award all participating countries and regions are assessed in terms of design, creativity, presentation and structure of the stand. The head of the N.A.T. representatives office in Vienna, Mr Simion Giurcă, was nominated as top in the ranking compiled annually by the Mucha Verlag Publishing house, which publishes Faktum and FM magazines and which prepares an annual ranking of the best people in tourism from Austria and of the best marketing specialists. Thus, in the tourism sections, the N.A.T. representative office achieved 29 th overall position in the entire market and 1 st position among the heads of national offices, and in the marketing sections 26 th position in the entire market and 1 st among heads of national offices. Information and promotional materials The brochure Cultural routes of the Council of Europe crossing Romania, printed for the first time in our country. The E3 route tourist map on the Dubova - Semenic Tourist Complex, section, printed for the first time in Romania. The brochure Fortresses, citadels and palaces in the Carpathian Mountains, printed for the first time in Romania. Making brochures, in order to disseminate information necessary to conduct effectively and in an efficient manner the activities of the Tourist Information Centres. Public relations The National Authority for Tourism efforts echoed in the international press, many of our actions being presented 2

5 in positive articles in the United States, UK, France, India or China is the year in which certain destinations in Romania were included in the top of some renowned publications worldwide, such as: Le Monde, The Huffington Post, Washington Post, TIME, The Telegraph, Lonely Planet. The new Vision for the Development and Marketing of the National Authority for Tourism (to be launched), has already captured the attention of Euronews. Decisive steps in shaping a positive image about Romania, the conclusion of 2016 being to improve the perception of Romania worldwide, is due to many factors such as our economic growth and the country s rating, but not least because of tourism s positive contribution. Because we understood the importance of multiplying positive messages about Romania through its most important ambassadors: culture, sports and performance in general, because promoting the image of our country is an on-going and demanding process that requires solid and well-known partners from both private and public sectors, in 2016 the National Authority for Tourism signed over 50 cooperation agreements to promote Romania as a tourist destination, among which we mention partnerships with the following structures / entities: Google Romania, Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, George Enescu International Festival, UNTOLD Festival, The International Festival of Independent Film Anonymous, Aska Tourism and Consultancy SPL India, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania, Maramureș County Council, Brașov County Council, the Organization of Marketing in Tourism in Romania, Spa Tourism Employer s Organization in Romania, etc. In order to increase incoming on the largest tourist generating market in the world - China, N.A.T. concluded with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Association of Travel Agencies a cooperation agreement to facilitate visas for Chinese citizens. During 2016, 14 educational and information visits were organized for more than 110 journalists and opinion leaders in the target markets (Poland, Italy, Sweden, Israel, Belgium, USA, Spain, France, Netherlands, etc.), as well as in the domestic market. Among the most important actions we mention the Spanish television TERRA INCOGNITA DOCS, which specializes in making documentaries on nature, tourism and travel (to make a documentary film in the Danube Delta) and Discovery Channel (documentary film on Prince Vlad the Impaler). Events In June 2016 the National Authority for Tourism, in partnership with the World Tourism Organization, hosted in Romania the WTO s annual international conference Integrated Quality Management in Tourist Destinations: A Key to Competitiveness, the most important international tourism event in the world, and this year it was held in Romania. The Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization, Mr Taleb Rifai, along with other senior officials of the World Tourism Organization Member States, Romanian senior officials, representatives of the international media and representatives of the tourist industry in Romania, contributing significantly to Romania s international repositioning. 3

6 More than 10 major events were organized at national level, in partnership with various organizations and institutions, covering various fields, from sport to ethnography. Online promotion In 2016 the presence of the National Authority for Tourism in the online environment experienced significant growth and diversification. The main channels were the institutional website ( being continually updated with information on the activities of directorates within N.A.T., press releases and public information with institutional character, the two official Facebook pages a total of 50,000 followers, the Twitter account, the Instagram account ( Wishing to disseminate information in the field of tourism as efficiently and quickly as possible, N.A.T., with its own resources, made a newsletter which is sent weekly to 2,000 people (already in its 45 th edition) and the website communicating the institution s main activities and events and also third party tourist events throughout the country. Moreover, we are in the process of upgrading, updating and improving the website for tourism promotion of Romania ( according to the latest information related to usability, indexing, display, user interaction and content distribution. In December of the current year, N.A.T. launched an online crowdsourcing action consisting in a national contest to identify the most creative slogan for the integrated repositioning campaign in the targeted foreign markets in All ideas can be submitted on the specially designed microsite, for 45 days. Health tourism This year the Spa Tourism Development Master plan has been completed, whose approval by Government Decision shall create the legal framework for implementation measures which can lead to unlocking spa tourism development in our country. In 2016 trainings for spa and treatment hotel owners were held. The trainings were conducted by a German company specializing in DIN ISO Certificates, using the reimbursement system through health insurance funds in Germany. Upon completing the training, participants received Quality Manager Certificates, according to DIN ISO 9001, certified by German TÜV. Ecotourism In 2016 the National Strategy for the Development of Ecotourism in Romania was completed led to the declaration of two new ecotourism destinations: - The Land of Haţeg-Retezat obtained the status of ecotourism destination for a period of three years. - Natural Park Vânători Neamţ Aurochs Land obtained the status of ecotourism destination for a period of three years. 4

7 The Carpathian Convention The framework convention on the Protection and Sustainable development of the Carpathians was adopted in Kiev on May 22, 2003 and was ratified by Romania in Signatory states of this Convention are: Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Ukraine and Hungary. The Carpathian Convention main objective is cooperation for the sustainable preservation and development of the Carpathians in order to improve the quality of life of the local population and the preservation of natural and cultural values. N.A.T., together with Brașov County Council, involved in the implementation of the Platform for Tourism within the Carpathian Convention, in Brașov. For the first time in Romania a Study on sustainable development in the Carpathian Mountains, was developed in order to be submitted to the member countries of the Convention. Implementation of international projects ALECTOR Project, founded from European funds, reclaims the socio-economic potential of heritage resources in the Black Sea. For Romania, the pilot project area was in Constanța County. The product developed within the project is: The Route of Romania s Ancient History at the Black Sea, through which one can visit ten tourist attractions in Constanța County, in two days. The choice of the 10 objectives was made to highlight a fragment of the millennial history of the Romanian people, among them being included Histria, Tomis and Callatis. Through exhibitions inaugurated in Istanbul and Constanța, through the Travel Aider Guide, electronic book (EBook) and project film, project results were disseminated across borders, promoting future economic and social growth. National Authority for Tourism has submitted 5 projects to the European Commission this year, one of them, i.e. EDEN- Destinations of Excellence, on cultural tourism, is already approved, the other projects being under evaluation. National Authority for Tourism has attended all EDEN editions held so far, through this program being designated the 29 EDEN Destinations in Romania. Implementation of projects financed from European funds Under the Priority Axis 5 Sustainable development and tourism promotion, subsection Key Area of Intervention 5.3 Promoting tourism potential and creating the necessary infrastructure to increase Romania s attractiveness as a tourist destination, requests for reimbursement were submitted under projects managed by OI Turism, totalling approximately RON 371,900,000. The Managing Authority (AM POR), authorized payments totalling approximately RON 342,500,000 lei, as follows: a) Creating a positive image of Romania, as tourist destination, by defining and promoting the national tourism brand required amounts: approx. RON 135,500,000; authorized amounts: approx. RON 128,200,000. b) Development and consolidation of domestic tourism by promoting specific products and specific marketing activities required amounts: approx. RON ; authorized amounts: approx. RON 166,000,000. c) Establishing and equipping Tourism Information and Promotion Centres (CIPT) required amounts: approx. RON 49,000,000; authorized amounts: approx. RON 48,300,000. 5

8 Training Administration of the domestic market information system - IMI - and administration of the platform for granting the European Professional Card (EPC) for mountain guides the National Authority for Tourism implements support for recognition of professional qualification, under Directive 2005/36/CE Development of a competitive professional education, the National Authority for Tourism constituted a working group, which includes representatives of the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research, Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Relations with the Business Environment, employers and professional associations in tourism. Within meetings held by N.A.T. problems concerning the lack of qualified personnel in tourism, hotels and restaurants were discussed, as well as the need to adapt curricula of vocational education to the needs, requirements and expectations of the tourism industry, setting in this regard a number of measures to be implemented together with the industry, in the coming period. Unlocking the budget allocated for investments in tourism infrastructure In September, the President of the National Authority for Tourism approved the allocation of RON 28,515,000 to six Territorial and Administrative Divisions in order to make investments: Borsec and Govora Resorts for health tourism; Petroșani, Straja and Voineasa and Câmpulung Moldovenesc Resorts for the development of skiing area. Destination management organizations In 2016, the National Authority for Tourism has started implementing a destinations management system, by developing an integrated mechanism in order to ensure synergy of strategies implementation in each area where tourism is interdependent, thereby providing the industry a solid foundation to build on and to help it progress. A Government Decision (GD) was drafted and placed on the endorsement circuit amending and supplementing GD 852/2008 on approving norms and criteria for certification of tourist resorts, which regulates the establishment, organization and functioning of Destination Management Organizations. The vision of the National Authority for Tourism on the establishment of Destination Management Organizations was submitted during September 19 October 21, 2016, within the project Destination management: online and offline Caravan, supported by Google Romania and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania. Events took place in the cities of Constanța, Târgu Jiu, Timișoara, Brăila, Brașov, Cluj-Napoca and Suceava, being addressed to economic agents, members of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, local authorities, tourist development and promotion associations, employers associations and federations in the field, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the field of tourism, (national) tourism information and promotion centres, representatives of cultural institutions, academicians and national and local media. As a result of the interest shown for starting the procedures for establishing Destination Management Organizations and discussions in this regard with interested parties, the National Authority for Tourism has developed, together with representatives of professional and employers associations / federations, all being representative for tourism and academia, the DMO MANUAL and related Annexes, a guide that provides technical information on the establishment and operation of the DMO in the tourist destination. 6

9 Tourist arrivals and overnight stays in accomodation structures, cumulatively for 10 months, during (mill.) 25,0 20,5 22,2 20,0 15,6 16,8 16,8 17,7 15,0 13,9 10,0 5,2 6,0 6,6 6,8 7,3 8,5 9,4 5,0 0, Arrivals Overnight st ays Arrivals of foreign visitors at the border, cumulatively for 10 months, during (mill.) ,4 6,5 6,9 7 7,3 8 8, Visitors (mil.) Arrivals of tourists in accomodation structures, cumulatively for 10 months, during (mill.) Source: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STATISTICS 10,0 9,0 8,0 7,0 6,0 5,0 4,0 3,0 2,0 1,0 0,0 9,4 8,5 7,3 7,3 6,6 6,8 6,6 5,2 6,0 5,6 5,2 5,3 4,7 4,0 1,2 1,3 1,4 1,5 1,7 1,9 2, Total (mil.) Ro manians (mil 7

10 Arrivals of foreign tourists in accommodation structures in the first 10 months of 2016 Others 23,6 Germany 11,6 Israel 10,1 Turkey 2,1 Greece 2,2 Italy 9,2 Moldavia 2,4 Netherlands 2,4 Austria 2,5 Bulgaria 2,7 Spain 4,1 Poland 4,4 S.U.A 5,6 United Kingdom 5,7 Hungary 5,8 France 5,8 Tourist reception structures with tourist accommodation (number of structures) TOTAL out of which HOTELS Source: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STATISTICS

11 Approval and control The entire approval and control activity is founded on two key principles: 1. Ensuring a fair market competition between tour operators 2. Protection of consumers of tourism services Thus, in order to increase the quality of tourism services in 2016, more than 850 thematic control actions were made of tour operators in the following fields: accommodation, public catering, leisure, travel agencies, etc. For some of these actions the cooperation was sought of other government authorities. In parallel, more than 300 actions were conducted to solve complaints and claims, from tourism products consumers. More than 7,000 permits and authorizations were issued for tourism activity in different areas ranging from the classification of accommodation structures, licensing of travel agencies, permits for beaches and other recreational means, tourism patents and tourist guide badges. Normative acts drafts / normative acts implemented The Government Decision draft to amend the Government Decision no. 852/2008 on the approval of norms and criteria for certification of tourist resorts; The Order for amending and supplementing the Methodological Norms on the issue of classification certificates for accommodation and public catering structures, of licenses and patents for tourism, approved by the Order of the President of the National Authority for Tourism no. 65/2013 (published on August 23, 2016); The Emergency Ordinance draft to amend and supplement the Government Ordinance no. 107/1999 on the marketing of travel packages; The Government Decision draft on the approval of the Master Plan for the development of spa tourism; The Government Decision draft on the approval of the National Strategy for Ecotourism Development in Romania context, vision and objectives ; The Government Decision draft on the approval of Methodological Norms on the establishment, development and approval of cycling routes; The Government Decision draft on the establishment of the Romanian Coordination Centre of the Carpathian Convention on Sustainable Tourism in the Carpathian Mountains; The Government Decision draft for the approval of the Development and Marketing Strategy of the National Authority for Tourism. 9

12 National Authority for Tourism Address: 38, Dinicu Golescu Bd., 1st district, Bucharest Phone: /