EFFECTS OF TOURISM ON THE ROMANIAN ECONOMY

Drago SMEDESCU The University of Agronomical Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Bucharest59 Mrti Blvd. sector ! "!!#$# Bucharest %omania &hone 'o.( ) #" "*#+.*"9.*5# e,mail( smedescudragos-yahoo.com .orres/onding author email( smedescudragos-yahoo.com
Abstract Over the past six decades, tourism has experienced continued growth and diversification to become one of the largest and fastest growing economic sectors in the world. Over time, more and more destinations have opened up and invested in tourism development, turning modern tourism into a key driver for socioeconomic progress. According to the European Unions tatistic Office, the global economic crisis has affected the tourism in !omania. "he purpose of this research is to evaluate the economic impact of tourism in the case of !omania, focusing on the effects of "ravel # "ourism on the economic impact with the next key factors$ %ross domestic product, direct and total contribution& employment, direct and total contribution& by visitor exports and investment, for the year '()', with estimates and forecast for the years '()* till '('*. Key-words: "ravel # "ourism, %+,, employment, visitor export

INTRODUCTION %omania has a real touristic /otential to /ractice all forms of tourism e0isting in the 1orld at this time. Than2s to first his relief 1ell diversified and the climatic conditions many forms of e0/ression can 3ecome real tourist travel 3rands in %omania. 4t remains only to im/rove other factors li2e( economic ethnic socio,/olitical 1hich have a direct im/act on the human condition. 4n the monumental 1or2 56ncyclo/edia of %omania5 /u3lished in # volumes in Bucharest in !9#7 3y the 'ational &rinting 8ffice in Volume # .ha/ter 5Tourism in %omania5 Valeriu &ucariu consider gra9ing and carriage :p-storitul and c-r-uia; 5are ancient forms of %omanian tourism5:/. !95;. 4n a famous 1or2 5The Shorter 80ford 6nglish <ictionary5 /u3lished in !95" tourism is defined as =...theory and /ractice of field tri/s the tri/ 3eing for /leasure> and the tourist as =... the one 1ho ma2es one or more tours es/ecially the one 1ho does this for recreation? the one 1ho travels for /leasure or for cultural /ur/oses visiting different interesting /laces for their o3@ectives landsca/e or others ali2e.> Aith her natural resources it holds 3io, diversity of flora and fauna uniBue in 6uro/e %omania is among the countries 1ith the most diversified tourism /roducts. 4t is still a largely agricultural country 1ith a generous rural area offering 1onderful scenery and o//ortunities for rural tourism develo/ment. 4n %omania there is a third of 6uro/eCs natural s/rings and !!* localities that have natural thera/eutic factors the most im/ortant 3eing 1ater and mud. .ultural heritage is remem3ered that our country is held 1ith 7" monuments included in the U'6S.8 Aorld Deritage list including 1ooden churches of Maramure /ainted churches of Moldavia and dacian fortresses from 8rtie Mountains. Also in cultural heritage are recorded over $ $"" nationally im/ortant monuments and $*" museums. Are @ust some of the attractions of %omania 1hich may /lay an im/ortant role in the %omanian economy 3y attracting foreign tourists :Eigure !;.

Eigure!. %omanian tourism ma/ in !97F Travel G Tourism can 3e a catalyst for im/roving livelihoods throughout the country and has 3een identified as a hu3 in the 'ational <evelo/ment &lan for the /eriod +""*,+"!7. This recognition of the /otential contri3ution of the tourism industry is a ste/ in the right direction although there is still a lac2 of a1areness of Travel G TourismCs :TGT; economic value and /otential of travel and tourism segment among all levels :government and /o/ulation;. MATERIAL AND METHODS To measure the economic effects of tourism on the %omanian economy 1e used the Aorld Travel G Tourism .ouncil :ATT.; 2ey factors( direct contri3ution to H<& direct contri3ution to em/loyment total contri3ution to H<& total contri3ution to em/loyment visitor e0/orts and investment for the year +"!+ and forecast for +"!7 and a long term forecast for the ne0t ten years also +"!7,+"+7. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Today tourism is one of the largest industries in the 1orld. The Buestion is( 1hy so many develo/ed and less develo/ed countries ma2e huge efforts to develo/ tourism and 1hy so many regions and cities struggle to /rovide facilities to attract visitors from home and a3roadI The ans1er is very sim/le since tourism has a great /otential to 3ring /ros/erity and 1ealth creating a high added value.

Eor many develo/ing countries tourism is one of the main sources of foreign e0change income and the num3er one e0/ort category creating much needed em/loyment and o//ortunities for develo/ment. Travel G Tourism has an inherent ca/acity to diversify the %omanian economy stimulating entre/reneurshi/ es/ecially SM6Js to cataly9e investment creating large num3ers of sustaina3le @o3s and 3y hel/ing social develo/ment in the local communities. 4n general 3oth sectors government and /rivate are o/ened to tourism develo/ment. %esearchers and academics on the one hand 3ut also the tourism o/erators su//ort the idea that tourism is a tool for economic gro1th. According to the Statistic 8ffice of 6uro/ean Union the glo3al economic crisis affected %omania as 1ell 1hich doesnJt have a sta3le mar2et economy the economy is 3ased on consum/tion and credits. The direct contri3ution of Travel G Tourism to H<& 1as 9 3illion %8' corres/onding to !.5K of total H<& for the year +"!+. <irect contri3ution to H<& L H<& generated 3y industries that deal directly 1ith tourists including hotels travel agents airlines and other /assenger trans/ort services as 1ell as the activities of restaurant and leisure industries that deal directly 1ith tourists. 4t is forecast to rise 3y !".$K in +"!7 and to rise more 3y 5.$K every year from +"!7 to +"+7 reaching !*.7 3illion %8' in +"!+ in constant +"!+ /rices :Eigure+;.

Eigure +. %omania( <irect contri3ution of TravelGTourism to H<&

4n the year +"!+ the total contri3ution on TGT to H<& 1as 7".5 3illion %8' :5.!K of H<&; ran2ing %omania on the /osition $+ out of a total of !F# countries 1orld1ide 1ith F.F US< 3illion dollars in a3solute contri3ution :Eigure 7;.

every year to ++7.""" @o3s:+.FK of total em/loyment; in +"+7 :Eigure #;.

Eigure 5. %omania( <irect contri3ution of TravelGTourism to em/loyment

Eigure 7. .ountry ran2ings( A3solute contri3ution +"!+ Travel G Tourism Total .ontri3ution to H<&

Total contri3ution to H<& L H<& generated directly 3y the TravelGTourism industry /lus its indirect and induced im/acts. %elated to relative contri3ution the total contri3ution of TGT to H<& /laced %omania 1ith 5.!K of H<& on the /osition !55. The .ountry ran2ings( real gro1th for +"!7 /laced %omania on the /osition *$ 1ith #.7K gro1th and the forecast is to rise 3y 5.FK /a to 5$.! 3illion %8' in +"+7 moving %omania on the /osition 7" :Eigure #;.

4n +"!+ the total contri3ution of TGT to em/loyment including @o3s indirectly su/orted 3y the industry reached #*9.""" @o3s of total em/loyment :5.*K;. The forecast is to rise 3y 7.!K in +"!7 :#9#.""" @o3s; and to rise 3y !.!K /a reaching 55!.""" @o3s in +"+7 re/resenting $.FK of total em/loyment. Total contri3ution to em/loyment L num3ers of @o3s generated directly in the TravelGTourism industry /lus its indirect and induced contri3utions :Eigure $;.

Eigure $. %omania( Total contri3ution of TravelGTourism to em/loyment Eigure #. .ountry ran2ings( Mong term gro1th +"!7,+"+7

TGT directly su//orted in +"!+ !97.""" @o3s re/resenting +.7K of total em/loyment. 4t is e0/ecting to rise 3y *.7K for +"!7 and 3y ".*K

Visitor e0/orts generated *.# 3illion %8' :7.!K of total e0/orts; in +"!+. 4t is e0/ected to rise 3y !7.+K in +"!7 and gro1 3y $K every year from +"!7 to +"+7 to !5.! 3illion %8' :Eigure *;.

1hich also allo1s the /ractice of all forms of tourism. Moo2ing for1ard in in future the forecast is more than /ositive 1e ho/e that %omanian tourism 1ill start develo/ing and reach the a 3etter /osition in +"+7 :same as the forecast; on 1orld ran2ing( H<& em/loyment visitor e0/orts and investment. AKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research 1or2 1as carried out 1ith the su//ort of &ro@ect &8S<%UN.&&!"*N<M4!.5NSN*$FFF &rogram S8& Duman %esources <evelo/ment from +""* to +"!7. REFERENCES
Sarchi9ian A. +"!!. The im/act of the economic crisis on the romanian tourism. The international Dos/itality and Tourism Student Oournal Volume #. U'AT8 Aorld Tourism 8rgani9ation +"!+. Hlo3al %e/ort on MHBT Tourism Volume three. U'AT8 Aorld Tourism Barometer Volume !! Oanuary +"!7. United 'ations +"!7 Aorld 6conomic Situation and &ros/ects +"!7. Hlo3al outloo2 'e1 Por2. Aorld Travel G Tourism .ouncil +""$. Travel G Tourism. 6conomic 4m/act. %omania. Aorld Travel G Tourism .ouncil +"!7. Travel G Tourism. 6conomic 4m/act +"!7 %omania. htt/(NNma/collection.1ord/ress.comN+"!+N"*N. htt/(NN111.scrigrou/.comNafaceriNturismN6fectele, turismului,asu/ra,eco!+9$$./h/.

Eigure *. %omania( Visitor e0/orts and international tourist arrivals

Travel G Tourism investment in +"!+ 1as !+.F 3illion %8' :*.#K of total investment. The forecast for +"!7 is negative. 4t should fall 3y ".+K in +"!7 and 1ill rise 3y $.FK /a to +#.5 3illion %8' in +"+7 :*.*K of total; CONCLUSIONS The glo3al tourism industry is in gro1ing 3ut at a different rate for a certain /eriod of time and generates economic gro1th of countries in 1hich it is develo/ed. Eor %omania tourism remains the economic sector that has most valua3le /otential for develo/ment 3ut unfortunately still unta//ed enough al1ays remaining a source of attraction for investors as 1ell as foreign tourists. Also a huge advantage of %omania is the natural and cultural /otential of great diversity and harmoniously distri3uted in the territory