MARKETING STRATEGIES OF TOURISM IN ROMANIA

Alexandru NEDELEA
Stefan cel Mare University Suceava
Romania

Abstract: The Romanian specialists and the foreign ones agree upon the fact that the
Romanian tourism potential could compete with the touristic supply of any other
country in the world thus significantly contributing to the income growth. As far as
the internal market is concerned we can notice a migration tendency of the touristic
demand towards the touristic products import which reflects the spectacular growth
of the number of voyages made by the Romanian tourists abroad. The Romanian
international touristic demand registers a diminuation tendency due to some causes
such as: the low quality level of the offered touristic services, the touristic services
non-diversification, the reduced amusement possibilities. The internal touristic
demand registered a diminuation tendency caused by the low sales power of the
population and a lack of correlation between the practised tax levels and the service
qualities. Some of the possible ways of tourism relaunching constitutes the
elaboration of some efficient marketing strategies and politics starting from a
marketing environment analysis.In order to conceive and promote a competitive
Romanian touristic product the adoption of a quality rise strategy is essential. In
Romania the Q Mark National Application Program was conceived. The Romanian
tourism success depends on conceiving and and applying a positive-aggressive
marketing by creating regional promoting strategies and building some powerful
brands to impose themselves on a market characterized by a fierce competition.

Key words: marketing strategies, tourism, Romanian touristic product

JEL Classification: L 83, M 31

AN ANALYSIS OF THE ROMANIAN TOURISTIC MARKET

Among the countries from the East and Center Europe, Romania is considered
the country which possesses the richest and most varied natural touristic resources
created by man and this gives a great disposability for tourism. The general secretary
of the International Tourism Organization states that: ”Such a country which owns
the Danube Delta, the Black Sea, The Bukovina monasteries could live and prosper
from tourism only.”
Like any strategy, the analysis of the activity domain taken into consideration
and the final objectives of the estimated changes for a certain period of time are two
essential moments of the strategy in the tourism domain.

THE PRESENT-DAY STATE OF TOURISM

Without any notable exceptions the Romanian specialists and the foreign ones
agree upon the fact that the Romanian tourism potential could compete with the

Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1269369

touristic supply of any other country in the world thus significantly contributing to the
income growth. Let`s remember that in the 60s Romania was a successful touristic
destination especially due to the Black Sea. The regress started with the comunist
national isolation. Its fall has not brought the supposed good changes and today the
tourism Romanian industry is measured by a series of parametres which explain its
peripheral position in international context.
The economic, social and political context of the period after 1990 has not
been one that contributed to the Romanian tourism development. Today, the
Romanian hospitality industry confronts itself with problems such as: the decline of
the internal and external touristic demand, an old touristic product, the low standard in
the services which do not satisfy the tourists` expectations, the payment and too high
prices compared to the quality of the services, an insufficient promotion. Moreover
after 1989 because of the population low income level a restructuration of the
consumption priorities took place and this did not favour tourism.
The foreigners` perception upon accommodation, upon prices, is for Romania
lower than in the case of Turkey and Greece. They consider that our country is
deficitary because of the too high taxes for a reduced range of services.
One of the reasons of the touristic demand decrease is the Romanian hotel
keepers` tendency to increase the price of the services when the number of clients
become less. Generally the Romanian tourism managers not often proceed to cost
analyses or market research.
Moreover, the visa elimination for the Romanians who travel in the European
Union countries – starting with January the1st 2007– implies the destination
modifications preferred by the Romanians.
The international touristic demand registered a diminuation tendency due to
some causes such as the relatively low level of the touristic services, the touristic
program nondiversification, the reduced amusement possibilities. The official
satisfactions regarding the external touristic circulation offer data whose relevance is
relative as they register also the persons who practice frontier traffic .
In the future it is believed the number of the foreign tourists will rise due to
the invitation for our country to adhere to OTAN but also because Romania is
considered an attractive country. This is very important if we take into account the
general situation on the tourism international market, in the case of Middle East for
example the situation is different.
We consider that as far as the Romanian hospitality industry is concerned is
the elaboration of some marketing strategies to contribute to the internal market
flourishment.
As far as the internal market is concerned we can notice a migration tendency
of the touristic demand towards the touristic products import which reflects the
spectacular growth of the number of voyages made by the Romanian tourists abroad.
Here we must draw the attention towards the “ pseudotourists” proliferation, that is of
those persons who travel abroad with purposes which are connected to their jobs and
who actually cannot be considered tourists at all!
The adopted marketing strategies must presuppose regaining the touristic
market which has been lost in 1980-1989: Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, USA,
Canada etc. Nowadays the major touristic reasons which attract the foreign tourists in
Romania are The Black Sea, The Carpathians, bussiness activities, cultural-historical
circuits (such as the monasteries from Bukovina).

Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1269369

 Without any fiscal facilities, without the privatisation of the patrimony in
tourism, without an aggressive provocation, without quality services, without a
modern infrastructure, the Romanian tourism remains a perpetual chance.
It is certain that for Romania tourism represents a great opportunity which
must be exploited at the beginning of the third millenium.
One of the possible ways of tourism relaunching constitutes the elaboration of
some efficient marketing strategies and politics starting from a marketing
environment analysis. This must presuppose:
¾ the rise of the services quality level offered to tourists especially for the services
where it is required their diversification;
¾ the enlargement of the Romanian tourism agencies supplies in order to succeed in
drawing the attention of a greater number of tourists; this is how the focus will be
on the introduction or the conception of some touristic products to correspond to
the motivational tourist profile;
¾ redimensioning the connection between the service quality and their price such as
to be justified all the taxes;
¾ the intensification of the touristic products and actions of service promotion
choosing modern ways to promote like the Internet; this is how the possibility of
tourists information on the touristic services is created.

THE ROMANIAN TOURISTIC PRODUCT

Unfortunately, as a Horwath British firm specialized in consultancy has

pointed out, Romania is for the foreign tourists “an expired touristic product, an
inadequate offer for time spending, which reflects the lack of investment.”
Thus Romania has reached an expensive touristic destination.
The National Authority of Tourism has established a series of strategical
objectives at the national level:
¾ the improvement and the touristic product consolidation in those areas, stations,
localities, which are the most familiar for the Romanian and foreign tourists and
where there is already a certain structure;
¾ the development and modernization of the touristic product in such a way that
Romania would distinguish itself from another countries;
¾ the rise of the standard level of services in accordance to the touristic category and
the used payment.

Therefore we can adopt four main types strategies of the Romanian touristic product:
I. As far as the differentiation strategy is concerned we believe that it is recommended
to have as a starting point the originality through which the Romanian tourism must
be characterized without being able to compete with the experienced countries. In
order to confer originality to the touristic products we recommend the combination of
the circuits and sejours in the mountain area with those from the Danube Delta,
Bukovina, Maramureş, the Black Sea, the balneoclimatelic stations, the center of
Transylvania, the monasteries area in the north of Oltenia etc.
II. Adopting a diversification strategy in the hospitality industry in Romania
presupposes the demand satisfaction of more tourist segments by conceiving some
varied touristic activities and forms. If we take into consideration the varied and
complex character of the native touristic potential we consider that the following
could be particular touristic products: the seaside sejour, the mountain and cultural
circuits the rural tourism, ecotourism( the green tourism), the bussiness tourism, the
sports practising tourism, and other sports and activities, the scientific tourism etc.
III. As far as the quality growth strategy we could mention the existence of the Q
Mark Application National Program which has criteria allowing the full quality
measure and of all factors which can assure a high degree of client satisfaction.
The recommended system has in view the valorification of some associations
from the hospitality industry to promote quality marks. In order to become members
of such an association the operator should respect a certain quality standard. The
association will have to respect a certain quality standard. Its members will own a
quality mark which will certify the existence of a certain standard. That association
will also have the role to promote this mark and the touristic structures.

THE ROMANIAN TOURISTIC PRODUCTS

In the last two years a series of new touristic products have been launched by
the Tourism Ministry. Thus, the social programs were generally successful. “The Sun
Children”, “May the 1st at the Seaside” “New Year`s Eve in Romania”, “Holiday in
the countryside”, “A Cruise on the Danube Delta”, “Dracula Park” have been
appreciated by the Romanian tourists.
Within the product politics of Romanian tourism units there must be achieved
a growth of the touristic valencies by means of:
¾ the growth of service qualities and the confort degree of the touristic structures;
¾ completing the complementary services (sports, international telephony, cable
television, aerobics gym, conference halls etc.);
¾ including within the touristic products of some new touristic activities, except the
regularly ones: river-rafting, treking, skating etc.;
¾ the diversification of some activities: cultural-artistic manifestations, traditional
holidays specific to a certain geographical area, folk programs, taking part in the
local people`s activities, various and attractive trips etc.

THE PRICE POLICY

Within the Romanian hospitality industry the factor complexity which
characterize it determine the price strategy variety:
I. The demand characteristics, the voyage way of organisation, the consumer
segments represent factors which lead to the adoption of some price difference
strategies by the operators in the Romanian tourism.
II. The high price strategy can be applied for some Romanian touristic products of a
very good quality such as: The Dracula circuit, the Bukovina monastery circuit, the
ski sejour in Sinaia and Poiana Brasov, hunting tourism etc.It should be mentioned
that in order to insure the competitivity of such type of touristic products a correlation
between the high price and the superior quality of touristic services is imposed.
An efficient method for tourists attraction at a certain accommodation unit
represents practicing a reduced accommodation payment strategy (even appealing to
dumping prices). It is obvious that the tourist, being convinced to go to the respective
structure will also appeal to other services as well such as alimentation and treatment
ones.

THE DISTRIBUTION POLICY

Similar to the registered tendencies on the international plan in the distribution
policy in tourism on the local market we can notice the manifestation of a horizontal
integration (concentration). In order to exemplify we mention the development of
some hotels such as:
¾ Continental with structures in Bucharest, Târgu-Mureş, Cluj, Constanţa, Drobeta
Turnu Severin, Sibiu, Oradea, Iaşi, Sinaia, Suceava;
¾ Inter-Continental including the Intercontinental and Lido from Bucharest, Rex in
Mamaia, a hotel in Poiana Braşov and another one in Băile Felix;
¾ Ana with Flora hotel in Bucharest, and Poiana, Sport, Bradul in Poiana Braşov;
¾ Unita Tourism.
A greater number of such agencies should be imposed which have a special
role in facilitating the familiarization with some touristic areas. In time, a part of the
generalist actual tourism agencies will be specialized on the incoming activity as this
sector is unfortunately insufficiently developed on the Romanian touristic market
where the outgoing activity, that is the distribution and the promotion of the foreign
destinations, is preferred.

THE ROMANIAN TOURISTIC PROMOTION

The tourism promoting strategy in our country is structured on three levels

(what we wish to underline is the necessity of cooperation between these levels in
order to promote the Romanian tourism):
I. The promotion strategy at the national level is elaborated and mainly applied by the
National Authority of Tourism having as an objective promoting the Romanian
touristic products on the internal market but also on the external one, through
activities specific to the bureaus of touristic promotion and information in our country
and abroad. The National Promotion and Marketing Program elaborated by the
National Authority of Tourism (with the help of the General Direction of Touristic
Promotion and Marketing) has as a purpose Romania`s promotion as holiday
destination and travels in the internal and international touristic market.
II. The role of conceiving the local level promotion strategy is attributed to the
associations of regional promotion recently set up in our country. Their problem is
largely presented in the next chapter.
III. At the micro level each agent in the hospitality industry individually establishes
his own promoting politics of the touristic supply.

The Romanian touristic promotion at the national and international level

Romania attacked the international touristic market by means of a new
strategy of positively-aggressive promotion under the slogan “The Permanently
Surprising Romania”. This campaign is an aggressive one as now, on the international
touristic market we are in the middle of a commercial war. The events that occurred
on September 11th 2001 have marked an extremely important moment in the
international tourism destiny which practically entered a serious crisis.
Among the promotional campaigns achieved by the National Authority of
Tourism we ca mention The “Millenium” Program (which had as a theme “Romania:
the Millenium’s Last Destination” and the “Romania Holidays” project.

Regional Promotion Associations

The cristalization phenomenon of some future marks of distinct touristic
products having their own personality started in Sibiu and then it continued in
Bukovina.
The regional touristic promotion associations have the role to reunite all
existent forces on the local level interested in promoting the touristic potential of the
respective area. In Romania ten such associations are registered: Sibiu, Bucovina,
Maramures, Delta, Banat, Mures/Transilvania, Neamt/Moldova (Neamţ, Iaşi and
Bacău), Litoral, Carpaţi (Braşov, Valea Prahovei), Harghita.
Among the objectives of the ”Bukovina Tourism Association” we can
mention:
¾ the elaboration of a strategy regarding the promotion and the tourism development
in Bukovina;
¾ the elaboration of a data base with the touristic objectives and units from
Bukovina;
¾ program and finance attraction in order to grow the Bukovina touristic product
quality
¾ conference, seminars organization;
¾ the market studies elaboration regarding the hospitality industry in the area;
¾ promoting the cooperation with the local and central administration;
¾ promoting the cooperation and an efficient communication between the
governmental institutions;
¾ editing promotional materials; editing materials including publications;
¾ taking part in internal and international tourism fairs.

Bukovina tourism can be oriented towards more directions: historical and

religious tourism, sports tourism. The value and intensity of the historical monuments
place Suceava on the first place from the point of view of cultural and historical
resources.
In this context we must mention as a marketing strategy within the same
touristic products (of the circuits type) the promotion of two or more complementary
touristic destinations. In our case it is about Bukovina and Maramureş or Neamţ. As a
consequence such an attraction as the monasteries in Bukovina or Dracula Park must
constitute only the main reason for which the foreign tourists feel attracted by
Romania and once they arrived here they are oriented towards the same objectives.
If we take into consideration the fact that at present the internal tourism
demand has become low and will follow this trend until the population economical
situation will improve, the marketing efforts must be oriented towards attracting in
Bukovina of more and more tourists who come from the developed countries.

CONCLUSIONS AND FINAL PROPOSITIONS

I. The Romanian international touristic demand registers a diminuation tendency due

to some causes such as: the low quality level of the offered touristic services, the
touristic services non-diversification, the reduced amusement possibilities.
II. The internal touristic demand registered a diminuation tendency caused by the low
sales power of the population and a lack of correlation between the practised tax
levels and the service qualities.
III. Some of the possible ways of tourism relaunching constitutes the elaboration of
some efficient marketing strategies and politics starting from a marketing
environment analysis.
IV. In order to conceive and promote a competitive Romanian touristic product the
adoption of a quality rise strategy is essential. In Romania the Q Mark National
Application Program was conceived.
V. On the local market we notice the horizontal integration (concentration)
phenomenon manifestation which is concretized in some hotel chains development.
VI. The Romanian tourism promotion strategy is structured at three levels: national
(the National Authority of Tourism), local (the regional promotion associations),
micro (the touristic operator`s)
VII. We recommend to the Bukovina receiving structures to promote some small
prices for minimum services offered to attract tourists at the destination,and here to
determine them to spend more money by offering them some supplementary services.
VIII. The Romanian tourism success depends on conceiving and and applying a
positive-aggressive marketing by creating regional promoting strategies and building
some powerful brands to impose themselves on a market characterized by a fierce
competition.

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