III. TOURIST POTENTIAL. TOURISTIC OFFER.

1. Tourism potential - definition and components.

1.1. Definition

1.2. Components of tourism potential

1.2.1 Tourist resources

1.2.2. Tourist attractions

1.2.3. Infrastructure of tourist interest

2. The tourist destination.

3. Tourist attraction.

1. Tourism potential

1.1. Definition

The concept of tourism potential refers to all the possibilities that a territory
offers to tourism (Glăvan, 2006), whether they are exploited or not.
The degree and form of capitalization of the possibilities offered by a
territory vary in time and space, depending on the needs of the society, the
evolution of the tourist market and the socio-economic and political context
(national and global).

1.2.Components of tourism potential

 According to the National Territory Planning Plan (PATN), the
components of the tourist potential: 
- the tourist resources,
- the infrastructure of tourist interest, which includes the specific tourist
infrastructure and the one of general interest.

1.2.1 Tourist resources

Tourist resources are components of the natural and anthropic environment,

which can be exploited through tourism. They remain in a latent state until the
evolution of the tourist demand (the preference for a certain form of tourism)
determines their use.
Tourist resources are considered raw materials for tourism. For example, the
fish in the lake can be considered as a raw material for the development of fish
tourism, or churches a necessary resource for religious tourism.

Tourist resources can be natural or cultural - see Table 2.1.

Tourist resources can also be classified into tangible and immaterial resources
(such as Dracula myth etc.).

Table 2.1. Classification of tourist resources (with examples)

Natural tourist resources Cultural tourism resources

a. Components of the natural environment: a. Historical monuments: monuments, assemblies,

archaeological sites, public monuments, memorial
- relief and geomorphology: canyons, caves, etc. -funeral monuments.
- vegetation: secular forests, rare plant species,
etc. b. Museums and collections open to the public. c.
- fauna: rare/protected species, the fauna of Popular art and tradition:
hunting interest, etc. - traditional events: festivals, fairs, holidays,
- hydrography: waterfalls, lakes, coastal areas, traditional customs and rituals, etc.
etc. - traditional folk crafts: fabrics, carpets, folk
- climate: snow, wind (for water sports), etc costumes, seams; the painting
 on glass and wood, engraving, processing of
wood, metals, stone, leather;
- unique landscapes.
d. Annual/repeatable cultural events: festivals,
b. Natural therapeutic factors: fairs, competitions, etc.
- therapeutic mineral waters, e. The history of a place (important events),
legends and myths.
- therapeutic lakes,
f. Sacred places, with spiritual value: churches,
- therapeutic sludge.
temples, etc.
- natural gases from therapeutic gases
(skunks),

- physicochemical and climatic elements

with therapeutic properties: the coast;
mountain, cave or saline bioclimate.

c. Protected Areas: Biosphere Reserves,

National Parks, Nature Reserves and
Monuments.

The tourist landscape is an ensemble of natural and cultural elements that are
distinguished from what we see in everyday life by some attributes (natural or
cultural) that are out of the ordinary. Examples: a traditional village in Bukovina or
a sunset on the seashore.

1.2.2. Tourist attractions ( vs Tourist resources)

A resource that attracts tourists becomes a tourist attraction.

So, tourist attractions are those elements that attract tourists and motivate the
visit of a place. They can be activities (ex gambling in Las Vegas) or place
attributes (landscapes, monuments, museums, etc.).
 Tourist attractions play a key role in tourism, generating tourist flows and
motivating tourists to travel up to thousands of kilometers away from the house
(example: Rio de Janeiro Carnival).

Tourist attractions can be permanent or temporary. A castle is a permanent

attraction, while a 3-day festival is a temporary attraction.

In general, the tourist attractions are smaller, being: single elements (a

waterfall, a museum) or individual sites (the Metropolitan Assembly of Iași, with
several buildings included; an amusement park).

1.2.3. Infrastructure of tourist interest

The infrastructure of tourist interest includes:

a. Basic technical infrastructure - underground and surface constructions

necessary to carry out all economic activities and used by the entire
population, including tourists:

- transport infrastructure: road and rail network, railway stations, airports, tourist
ports, etc.

- Technical-urban infrastructure: sewerage network, gas supply, electricity, etc.

- Telecommunication infrastructure: telephone and internet networks.

b. Tourism specific infrastructure - includes facilities specially built for

tourists:

- accommodation infrastructure: hotels, motels, crucial and agro-tourism pensions,

etc. (detailed in Chapter IV)

- food infrastructure - restaurants, cafes, etc.

- sports and recreational infrastructure: ski slopes and cable transport facilities, golf
courses, amusement parks, stadiums, etc.

- treatment facilities: spa centers, balneary centers, medical centers.

- showrooms, congresses, and conferences, exhibition centers.

2. The tourist destination.

The tourist destination is a geographical area with a level of development of

tourist services and infrastructure sufficient to meet the needs of visitors. It has a
set of goods and services that together can generate a complex tourist experience
(example: accommodation + meal + leisure).

The tourist destination can be:

a. a geographical area with clear boundaries and homogeneous

characteristics. Example: a city, the Danube Delta, the Maramureș Basin.

The size of the destination may vary, from a locality (village or city) to a
transnational region, country or area (ex: a cross-border national park).

b. a unique socio-cultural entity, built and promoted by tourism operators as

a place worth visiting. An example is the tourist destination Bucovina which,
although it is very well known and attractive, often does not have very clear
geographical/administrative boundaries in the mind of the visitors.

A destination includes one or more tourist attractions. Example: Iasi

destination with different attractions: metropolis, Palace of Culture, Palas
ensemble, etc.

3. Tourist attraction

The tourist attraction of a destination is given by the relation between the

availability of the existing attractions and their perceived importance.

The attractiveness is influenced by:

- the perceived importance of the destination: the image of the destination

(positive or negative), the degree of media coverage,
 - the number, the diversity, and importance (national or international) of
tourist attractions,

- the uniqueness of the tourist resources. Example: the highest waterfall in

the world (Angel Falls, in Venezuela), the largest temple complex in the world
(Angkor Wat, in Cambodia), the first university in Romania (Iasi), etc.

- accessibility, ie: how quickly, easily and cheaply you can get there

- the level of development of tourist services and facilities,

- the characteristics of the locals: hospitality, professionalism, the

involvement of local authorities,

- the degree of promotion at the national and international level, integration

into national or regional tourist circuits.
 IV. INFRASTRUCTURE OF TOURIST INTEREST

1. Transport infrastructure

2. The tourist accommodation infrastructure

2.1. Types of tourist reception structures with accommodation functions in Romania

2.2. Evaluation of the tourist accommodation infrastructure:

2.3. Evaluation of the tourist accommodation experience

ANNEX 4.1. Criteria for classification of accommodation units.

1. Transport infrastructure

This includes infrastructures of:

- road transport: coaches, minibusses, field cars, etc .;

- rail transport: tourist trains.

- river and maritime transport: boats for tourist purpose;

- cable transport: cable cars, ski lifts, etc .;

The transport infrastructure strongly influences the attractiveness of a destination,

namely:

- accessibility of the destination (how easy and fast you get there),

- travel costs (which can reach 50% or more of the total travel budget).

Examples of indicators to measure the accessibility of a destination/attraction:

- Typology - what means of transport are available (train/bus/plane, etc.)

- Transport capacity (number of seats)

- Transportation costs

- Schedule: Are there enough departures? are they at the late? they are running
daily?

- Travel time (and distance)

- Connectivity with other localities/tourist objectives: with which localities have

direct links?

- Position of the train station/buses towards the center/tourist objectives,

connection with the center (are there direct flights to the airport/station?)

In the last decades, transport infrastructures and services have developed a lot,
taking into account the evolution of the tourist demand. However, the competition
between the means of transport (plane / vs / train / vs coach / vs personal car) also
increased

The analysis of the tourist importance of these infrastructures can follow:

- the advantages and disadvantages of that means of tourist transport. Example:

low cost on a train, speed on airplanes, etc.

- adaptation to the current tourist demand. Example: charter flights introduced by

airlines, road and railway stations opened within the airport, etc.

- associated tourist facilities (services and infrastructures), frequently associated

forms of tourism. Example: motels are associated with transit tourism, they are
located along with road transport; near the airport are concentrated accommodation
services (hotels), parking, transfer services (road or rail).

The travel experience associated with transport infrastructures has evolved

so much that the respective infrastructures or the journey itself have become tourist
attractions. Example: a trip with the Orient-Express, the Moscow or Stockholm
metro stations.
 Moscow Metro Station

2. Tourism accommodation infrastructure

2.1. Types of tourist reception structures with accommodation functions in
Romania
According to the legislation in force (Order 65/2013, Order 117810.10. 2018), the
following types of reception structures with tourist accommodation functions may
work in Romania:

1. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1-star hotels;

2. hotels - 5, 4, 3, 2 star apartment;

3. 3, 2, 1-star motels;

4. 3, 2, 1-star hostels
5. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1-star villas;

7. 3, 2, 1-star bungalows;

8. 3, 2, 1-star tourist cottages;

9. holiday village - 3.2 stars *;

10. campsites, tourist stalls, camping houses, 4, 3, 2, 1 star;

10. tourist pensions and agrotourism pensions of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 daisies;

11. 3, 2, 1-star apartments or rooms for rent;

12. reception structures with accommodation functions on 5.4, 3, 2, 1-star river and
maritime vessels.

The HOTEL is the structure of tourist reception arranged in buildings, which offers
tourists rooms, studios or apartments properly equipped, provides specific services,
has a reception hall and public food spaces.

THE APARTMENT HOTEL is a hotel composed of apartments or studios,

equipped to ensure the preservation and preparation of food, as well as the serving
of food on the premises.

MOTEL is the hotel unit, usually located outside the localities, near the intensely
circulated roads, equipped and arranged both for providing accommodation and
food services for tourists, as well as for the safe parking of the means of transport.

HOSTELS are tourist accommodation structures with a minimum capacity of 3

rooms, studios, or apartments arranged on one or more levels, in spaces arranged,
usually, in buildings with an initial destination other than that of tourist
accommodation.

TOURIST HOUSES are relatively low capacity tourist reception structures,

operating in independent buildings, with specific architecture, providing
accommodation, food and other specific services, needed for tourists on hiking or
resting in mountain areas, natural reserves, near the seaside resorts. or other tourist
attractions.
VILLAS are relatively small capacity tourist reception structures, operating in
independent buildings, with specific architecture, located in tourist resorts or in
other areas and localities of tourist interest, which ensure the accommodation of
tourists and the provision of specific services.

Bungalows are low-capacity tourist reception structures, usually made of wood or

other similar materials. In areas with high humidity (mountain, sea) they can also
be built from masonry.
They are located in the perimeter of campsites, holiday villages, as independent
units located in tourist resorts or tourist areas, or as complementary spaces next to
other tourist reception structures. It ensures the accommodation of tourists, as well
as the other services provided by the main units, as the case may be.

It works, usually, with seasonal activity.

TOURIST PENSIONS are tourist accommodation structures, with a capacity of

accommodation up to 15 rooms, totaling a maximum of 40 accommodation places,
functioning in citizens' homes or in independent buildings, which provide tourists
accommodation and training and service conditions in specially designed spaces. at
lunch. Minimum 1000 sqm of land.

AGROTURISTIC PENSIONS are tourist accommodation structures, with a

capacity of accommodation up to 8 rooms, operating in citizens' homes or in
independent buildings, which ensure in tourists specially arranged accommodation
and conditions for preparing and serving meals, as well as the possibility to
participate in household activities or craftsmenships.

- Tourists are offered a meal prepared from mostly natural products from their
household (including fish products) or locally authorized producers/fishermen.

- the hosts earn some of the income from agriculture or crafts (pottery, for
example)
- the hosts deal directly with the reception of tourists and their program throughout
their stay and they accompany the tourists who participate in the activities of the
household or craftsmanship.

CAMPSITES are tourist reception structures designed to provide tourists

accommodation in tents or caravans, so arranged as to enable them to park their
vehicles, prepare their meals and benefit from the other services specific to these
types of units.

APARTMENTS OR ROOMS FOR RENT are tourist reception structures

consisting of a limited number of spaces, which offer accommodation services and
the possibility of preparing food in the kitchen used exclusively by tourists.
Specially designed spaces can be organized for the preparation of food intended
exclusively for tourists.

MARITIME AND FLUVIAN SHIPS, including floating pontoons, used for tourist
accommodation during the voyage or as floating hotels anchored in ports, are
classified by stars (from 1 to 5) depending on the quality of the facilities and
services they offer.
 2.2. EVALUATION OF TOURIST ACCOMMODATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Specific indicators are:

- typology: number of hotels, guesthouses, etc., their weight in the total units.

- accommodation capacity: numbers of individual places in accommodation units,

the number of rooms.

Tourist accommodation capacity in function (expressed in days-places) = number

of accommodation places made available to tourists * number of days when the
structures are open during the period considered. Excluded are places in rooms or
structures temporarily closed due to lack of tourists, for repairs or other reasons.

- the degree of use: The number of nights, The index of net use of the tourist
accommodation capacity in operation, Number of tourists - days, Average length
of stay

Overnight stay = every night for which a person is registered in a tourist

accommodation unit, whether or not he is physically present in the room.

The index of net use of the tourist accommodation capacity in operation = number
of overnight stays/tourist accommodation capacity in operation, from the
respective period.

The number of tourists - days = number of tourists * the effective duration in days
of the tourist actions.

The average length of stay - the ratio of the number of tourist-days to the number
of tourists participating in the tourist activities organized by the license holders of
tourism.

- facilities and services offered: restaurant, swimming pool, gym, breakfast in a

room, etc.

- location: center, periphery, near the airport/station, etc.

- target clientele: low budget travelers, business people, etc.

 2.3. EVALUATION OF THE TOURIST ACCOMMODATION EXPERIENCE

The criteria for evaluating the tourist accommodation services have gradually
evolved from the evaluation of the infrastructures themselves to the evaluation of
the associated services and then to the evaluation of the whole experience of
accommodation facilitated by them.

The evaluation criteria used today are:

- Measurable criteria, objectives: room surface, facilities, breakfast diversity,

availability of facilities and services (they are or are not available).

- Subjective criteria, such as room comfort, room decor, room view, bed comfort,
etc.

- Quality of service provision: characteristics of employees (speed,

professionalism, hospitality), quality of food and drinks, services offered free of
charge.

In addition to the conventional classification systems (made by specialized

institutions, based on official and compulsory criteria to be able to function),
unconventional (not mandatory but influencing) tourists' decisions have been
gradually developed.

Conventional forms of evaluation (see ANNEX 4.1.) Are classification and

quotation.

- Classification refers to the differentiation by types of accommodation units,

depending on the various facilities and their characteristics: the classification of a
unit in motels, hotels, pensions, etc.

- Grading is a form of quality assessment of these infrastructures. In Romania,

there is the classification by stars or daisies (in the case of pensions) and is based
on some officially defined criteria, which mainly target measurable attributes (the
presence of facilities/services and their functional characteristics - size, cleanliness,
etc.).
An unconventional form of evaluation is the rating by the visitors (the rating), who
appreciates the entire tourist experience lived in an accommodation unit. We find it
especially on online booking and travel platforms (booking.com, TripAdvisor, etc).
Notation in this case takes into account tangible and intangible, objective and
subjective elements (such as the evaluation by visitors' notes, on gender platforms -
see Figures 4.1. ; 4.2.
Figure 4.1. The attributes of the accommodation services evaluated by visitors and
displayed on Booking.com.

Figure 4.2. TripAdvisor rating.

Opinion polls are a popular method of investigating the opinion of tourists

for the quality of tourist experience, touristic products, and destinations. They are
used by tourism actors to improve their services and meet demand.

ANNEX 4.1. Criteria for classification of accommodation units.

(for information)
 Pensions
Criteria TOURIST AGROTURISTIC
daisies daisies
5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1
The general condition of the building (exterior, interior)

l V x x - - - x x - - -
o er
o
y
k
go
od
go - - x x x - - x x x
od

luminous or xx x - - - x x - - -
illuminated xx
company x
regarding the
distinctive
signs with
the type,
name, and
category of
classification
of the unit
distinctive - - x x x - - x x x
marks
regarding the x
type, name
and category
of the unit
classification
the buildings, xx x x x x x x x x x
including the x
house
annexes,
should be
clean and
 well
maintained
to fit in the x x x x x x x x x x
architectural style
with local
specificity
own access roads x x x x x x x x x x