Sustainable Tourism Strategy for Romania National Park - Case Study Example

Sustainable Tourism Strategy for Romania National Park Table of Contents Part A 3 Synopsis of the Strategy 3 Part B 4 Introduction 4 Overview of theRomania’s National Parks and the Tourism Industry of the Country 5 Evaluation of the Sustainable Tourism Strategy of Retezat National Park of Romania 6 Appropriateness of the Strategy of Sustainable Tourism 11 Recommendations for Change in the Strategies 12 Conclusion 15 Part C 16 Executive Summary 16 References 17 Bibliography 19 Part A Synopsis of the Strategy The strategies proposed by the Tourism Board of Romania for the Retezat National Park has been taken into consideration for the enhancement of the overall functioning of the park. The strategies developed by the Tourism Board of Romania for the Retezat National Park also tends to render due significance towards the natural prosperity of the Park through effective environment preservation strategies. It is worth mentioning in this context that the natural wealth of Retezat National Park is considered to be one of the most favourite locations of the region that tends to attract a significant proportion of leisure tourists and educational tourists visiting Romania. The strategies included dividing the park into four different zones in order to develop each and every section with greater effectiveness focusing on its unique natural feature. Furthermore, the strategy proposed by the authority to improve the Retezat National Park focused on the concept of promoting the availability of medical services, hotels and emergency rescue services among within the park in order to augment the interest of tourists to visit the tourism location. The developmental strategies proposed by the authority also included the intention to increase the scope of employment for the local people who live in the surrounding of the park. The strategies also proposed the inclusion of certain ethical and practical rules that were expected to limit the activities of the tourists up to an extent which will reduce the negative impacts on the natural assets of the Park. Thus, from an overall perspective, the strategies proposed by the authority of Romania Tourism can be observed to represent a multidimensional approach in benefitting the overall performance of the Retezat National Park. Part B Introduction The concept of sustainable tourism is apparently becoming widely accepted all over the globe. It is regarded as an attempt to minimize the impact of the environment as well as the local culture on the tourism industry of any country. Contextually, it has been observed that the main aim of sustainable tourism is to make sure that along with environment preservation, a considerable development in the tourism sector of any country can be provided which can yield maximum positive experiences for the people who decide to visit a particular country such as Romania possessing a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) of natural heritage. The concept of sustainable tourism is often argued as an important aspect that largely influenced the modern day strategies concerning the tourism industry operations. It is in this context that sustainable tourism can be effectively achieved with the development of certain strategies with the purpose of designing a positive structure of the tourism industry (Ali & Frew, 2013; Tribe, 2010; Swarbrooke, 1999). Based on the theoretical underpinning, this paper intends to discuss about the appropriateness of the strategy for one of the national park of Romania, i.e. the Retezat National Park. The paper further aims to recommend certain inputs that might be helpful in developing and executing strategies with greater accuracy yielding maximum positive results. Overview of the Romania’s National Parks and the Tourism Industry of the Country Romania is a country located in the South Eastern region of Europe. In terms of its geographic location, the country is listed as the eighth largest in the European continent. It has been observed that the country is quite well known all over the world because of its natural beauty and mystic heritage. Among the various parks of Romania, there are certain national parks which are quite crucial with regard to its tourism industry. The national parks of the country display a unique variety of wildlife and vegetation to the people visiting the place. There are various national parks all over the country which intend to present the natural heritage of Romania in a unique manner to the national as well as international tourists visiting the place. It has been noted that some of the crucial parks of the country includes Apuseni Nature Park, Bicazului Gorges Hasmas National Park, Ceahlau National Park and Retezat National Park to name a few. It is worth mentioning in this context that the diverse range of natural landscapes of the country provides exciting experiences to the tourists visiting the place. The national parks of Romania also attempt to attract individuals from all over the world being facilitated by its scenic beauty which undoubtedly increases the significance of environmental preservation and requirement for sustainable tourism in the region (The Romanian Tourist Office, 2013; Pettersen & Baker, 2010). The tourism industry of Romania is quite vital for the country altogether in economic terms as well, apart from social concerns. It has been noted that the stability of the economy of the country is directly depended on its tourism industry. In fact, tourism is perceived as one of the major industries for the economy of Romania which not only assists the nation to strengthen its reputation in the global context but also widens the prospects for improvement in its social structure. In regard to tourism, it has been observed that the national parks of the country are among the major attractions for the tourist all around the world which are further cultivated as the key contributors to the national income of the nation (Surugiu & et. al., 2009; Pop & et. al., 2007). Evaluation of the Sustainable Tourism Strategy of Retezat National Park of Romania With reference to the recent performances and strategic inclination, it has been observed that the national parks of Romania are regarded as the major assets of the country, especially with regard to its tourism sector. It is worth mentioning in this context that people from all over the world to visit the place for its extraordinary beauty. However, the tourism industry of the country needs to develop strategies that might be helpful in the sustainability of the tourism industry of the country, especially in relation to the National Parks of the country. In order to conduct an in depth analysis of the proposed sustainable tourism strategy, the report of the Retezat National Park of Romania will be evaluated. As per the information delivered through the report, Retezat National Park is listed as one of the major national parks of Romania. It is regarded as one of the premier tourist destinations of the country. It has been noted that the park is famous for its wilderness, spectacular alpine vegetation as well as sub-alpine landscapes which play a vital role in attracting the visitors from all over the world for adventure tourism, educational tours and leisure vacations. The government of the country is aware of the fact that the place has the potential to contribute towards long term tourism development of the country. With this concern, the government has been focused towards developing strategies that can help in the sustainable development of Retezat National Park. The tourism development authority of the country has thus planned to take the initiative of developing a strategic plan that will be effective in the sustainable development of the park which will eventually impose a positive impact on the overall tourism industry of the country (Candrea & Stanciu, n.d.; Pan Parks, n.d.). The blue print provided by the authority with regard to the sustainable development strategies initially depicts the market demand and positioning of the Retezat National Park. It has been observed in this regard that the annual visitors in Retezat National Park are quite less as compared to that of the other national parks of Europe which further signifies the requirement of massive improvements. Additionally, the recent studies have reflected that the contribution of the park is becoming quite minimal towards the overall tourism industry of the country. However, it has been learnt that the rich heritage of Retezat National Park has been quite capable of doubling the tourist arrivals in the place (Buta, 2010). Sustainable Strategies Aiming at the development of the park, the tourism authority has decided to divide the park into four different zones where each division is supposed to have its own set of uniqueness and will have different experiences to deliver to the visitors. In addition, such as initiative is quite likely to improve the entire managerial process to be more systematic and progressive eradicating the limitations of complexities and time as well as cost constraints (Buta, 2010). Zone 1 The first zone of the Park will include the western part. According to the tourism authority of the country, this section of the park will develop in accordance to the low yield tourism and will provide unique experiences to its visitors by promoting the activities such as cultural heritage tours, nature interpretation trails as well as horse riding to name a few focusing particularly on adventure tourism. Furthermore, the authority also proposed that in order to attract the visitors to spent more time in this section of the park, innovative activities and facilities will be included in the tourism services of the park at frequent instances which will eventually stimulate the growth of tourism business in the area (Macgregor & et. al., 2006). Zone 2 Zone 2 will comprise of the central area of the park. This section of the park will target the domestic along with international hiking tourism market segment. In relation to this, the park will intend to offer well-marked trails and maintained campgrounds for the visitors. The main intention of Zone 2 of the park will be therefore focused towards the enhancement of the experiences gained by the visitors by providing high class camping facilities (Macgregor & et. al., 2006). Zone 3 Zone 3 of the park will include the mountain area. In this zone, the tourism authority is aiming to provide natural wild experience to the adventure loving visitors. Furthermore, guide services are also proposed to be incorporated in this section of the park. The main aim of the authority is to keep this section of the park as natural as possible for the visitors so that they can obtain maximum experiences of maximum natural pleasure (Macgregor & et. al., 2006). Zone 4 Zone 4 of the park will include the resort area of the park. This is one of the most important zones of the park as this area of the park attracts maximum number of visitors all the year round. As per the development plan for Zone 4 of the park will include the formation of an incorporated year-round mountain tourism spot which will aim at rising visitor volume and occupancy rates. This will include the establishment of summer-based facilities such as trail network and campground among others (Macgregor & et. al., 2006). Further Proposals for the Development of the Park The tourism authority of Romania intends to develop the Retezat National Park in a way that will position it as one of the major international attractions. In this regard, the authority is also aware of the fact that there are issues related to the environment which needs to be controlled in order to attain greater sustainability of the park. In regard to this, the authority proposed that activities such as hiking and wildlife viewing will not be allowed in the eco-sensitive areas of the park. Furthermore, the park authority will also execute public awareness programs frequently with the intention to augment the appreciation of the local people towards the natural and cultural values of the region. Subsequently, the tourism authority is also seeking for close monitoring of the daily activities that takes place in the park which shall be facilitated with the planned categorisation of the entire area in 4 zones. In this regard, the tourism authority of Romania is proposed to go into a partnership with the Ecotourism board to look after the daily functioning of the park which shall ensure that there are no such activities taking place in the park that can negatively affect the natural environment of the area (Macgregor & et. al., 2006). Furthermore, the authority has been emphasizing on maintaining the ecological wealth of the natural park and its surrounding areas. The authority also seeks to promote the economic and educational benefits of national park. It is also aware of the fact that in order to develop sustainability of the park, it will be crucial to have the participation of both the local people as well as the visitors. In this regard, the tourism authority of Romania has proposed that people who visit the park will also need to have a learning experience and should gain maximum information regarding the natural wealth of the area. In addition, the residents of the park will be provided with information regarding the importance of the natural prosperity of the park so that they can convey the same to the visitors. Moreover, the tour operators and guides will be instructed to train the local people and incorporate them as guides, which can evidently enhance the scope of employment for local people in Romania. In order to maintain the natural persona of the park, all the visitors will be instructed to understand the sensitiveness of the area and construct their activities accordingly. In similar context, the tourism association of Romania will design certain ethical and practical rules and regulations that will set limits on the behaviour of tourists and will ultimately conserve the natural surroundings of the Retezat National Park (Macgregor & et. al., 2006). Additional Facilities that will be promoted to Attract Maximum Visitors The strategy of the authority also includes promoting major attractions of the park for attracting maximum number of visitors throughout the year. The tourism board will therefore initially focus on promoting the major attractions of the park that will be vital in regard to attracting tourists from all over the world. Furthermore, the association also aims at providing accommodation facilities for the visitors to enhance their experiences. The strategy of the tourism authority also includes the construction of high class hotels and restaurants beside the park. This is quite likely to enhance the experiences of the visitors substantially. Transportation facilities for the tourists will also be enhanced to ensure maximum convenience of the visitors. Additionally, there will also be facilities such as medical services for visitors and tour operators, emergency rescue services and other attractive and crucial development that will enhance the experience of people visiting the Retezat National Park (Macgregor & et. al., 2006). Appropriateness of the Strategy of Sustainable Tourism The strategies that are being proposed by the tourism authority of Romania evidently possess the prospective for achieving sustainability for the tourism services rendered by Romania’s National Park. The authority intends to discuss about all the aspects that can impose a substantial impact on the sustainable growth of Retezat National Park. From a critical perspective, it can be noted in this regard that the strategy of the authority has been mainly concerned about the natural wealth of the park which has been a major factor to attract people from all corners of the world. Moreover, the strategies also included the facilities that shall be vital in promoting the park. The facilities including medical services, accommodation services in the park as well as some other services shall further enable the tourists or the visitors to obtain a convenient as well as unforgettable experience of the tourism services delivered by the park. Furthermore, the inclusion of certain rules for the visitors of the park can also be signified as a positive initiative by the authority towards preserving the natural prosperity of the Retezat National Park of Romania. However, there are also certain aspects related to the strategies that need to be reviewed for more positive results. For instance, the authority proposed that the tour operators will need to include the local people in order to guide the tourists to every corner of the park. This aspect might require additional capital to educate the local guides and prospective employee of the park as most of local people might not be able to convey proper information regarding each every aspect of park due to lack of experience or proper education or training. Furthermore, the inclusion of strict rules and regulations might also reduce the interest of the people as it has been observed that most people, especially the young visitors do not find restrictions appreciative in adventure tours. Additionally, the strategy of the authority to build hotels near to the park might impose a negative impact on the overall natural welfare of the park causing more and more human interventions thus deteriorating the natural vegetation of the park. Recommendations for Change in the Strategies It has been observed from the above evaluation that the strategies of sustainability of the Retezat National Park of Romania by the tourism authority of the country possesses significant possibilities to impose creditable positive results although a few aspects of the proposed strategies also tend to raise concerns with relation to sustainable tourism planning. In this regard the proposition of introducing ethical and practical rules in the operations of the Retezat National Park may hamper the interest of people visiting the park, especially those belonging to the young generation. In relation to this, it is highly recommended that the authority should intend to develop certain other approaches to limit the activities of the visitors. The park authority should thus intend to familiarise the tourists with the importance and significance of such parks. The tourists should also be encouraged to take care of nature and therefore, restrict themselves from having any negative effect on the environment. These strategies might be considered as time as well as cost intensive in the short-run, but can yield sustainable benefits over the long run sustainable performance of the park (Herremans, 2006). It is worth mentioning in this context that the proposed sustainable tourism strategy does not include taking any step regarding the feedback of the visitors and tourists visiting the park. Contextually, it is quite vital to understand the viewpoints of the visitors as it will help the authority to develop a more accurate approach for the improvement of the park in the near future. With this concern, the tourism authority can be recommended to arrange a compliant box or online feedback mailing option where the visitors can convey their experiences after visiting Retezat National Park and also post their opinions for further development of the park. Acting as a major initiative to involve stakeholders in its sustainable tourism strategies, the park shall yield greater customer satisfaction and continuous growth over the long run (Kajala & et. al., 2007). Furthermore, the strategies of the authority to construct hotels and restrooms in the surrounding of the park might affect the natural surroundings of the park. Therefore, the tourism authority should intend to provide effective transportation for the visitors which will allow them to visit the place in a convenient manner. Moreover, the strategy of the authority should also include the concept of having experienced guides for the tourists who shall be especially trained by the government by providing necessary education to them regarding the natural wealth and wild life of Retezat National Park (Herremans, 2006). Conclusion From the overall analysis of the paper, it can be summarised that the tourism industry of Romania is quite dependent on the national parks of the country. The national parks of Romania are major attractions for people all over the globe. The tourism department of the country is therefore quite concerned about the sustainability of the national parks as the most influential tourist places where the Retezat National Park has been witnessing continuous decline in its aggregate number of visitors and competitive presence in comparison to other parks. In this regard, the tourism authority has developed certain strategies for the Retezat National Park. It has been observed that the strategies have the potential to deliver ample of positive results for the park. However, few of the strategies might cause some unnecessary negative impacts on the sustainable tourism approach of Retezat National Park. With these concerns, the essay also provides certain vital recommendations that will be effective in overcoming some of the negative aspects of the strategies planned by the Tourism Board of Romania. Hence, evaluation of the paper is expected to be helpful in concluding that the strategies developed by the tourism authority for Retezat National Park of Romania are appropriate in yielding the long run sustainability of the park which in turn shall benefit the overall tourism industry of Romania. Part C Executive Summary The paper critically assesses the strategies that are developed for sustainable tourism in Romania National Park. Correspondingly, the paper evaluates the appropriateness of the strategy that has been developed for a National Park of Romania. In the discussion of the paper, it has been observed that the tourism authority of Romania is quite concerned about the sustainable development for tourism of Retezat National Park. It therefore attempts to attract visitors from all over the world taking the virtues of its natural wealth and wild life. The authority has planned to divide the park into four different zones and develop each by focusing upon few unique identity features for every section. It is expected that apart from increasing the effectiveness of the overall managerial processes, the strategy will attract maximum number of tourists and will ensure a never before experience for the visitors offering them with a vibrant collection of tourism services. Furthermore, the strategy will also comprise the inclusion of certain facilities like medical services, transportation services and guest accommodation services that are expected to attract maximum number of people to visit the Retezat National Park. The sustainable tourism strategy of the authority has also been concentrated towards the inclusion of local people in developing the Retezat National Park creating a scope of employment for its stakeholder community. It has been noted in the later part of the essay that the strategy of the authority was partially appropriate and needs to be rectified with certain concerns. Hence, certain valuable inputs have also been recommended in the later part of the paper to ensure maximum success for the proposed sustainable tourism strategy intended to the Retezat National Park of Romania. References Ali, A. & Frew, A. J., 2013. Information Communication Technologies and Sustainable Tourism. Taylor & Francis. Buta, N., 2010. Local Communities and Protected Areas: Social Dimensions of Pro-Environmental Engagement in Retezat National Park, Romania. University of Florida, pp. 1-207. Candrea, A. N. & Stanciu, P., No Date. Ecotourism Development Strategies in the Retezat National Park. Journal of Tourism, pp. 44-48. Herremans, I. M., 2006. Cases in Sustainable Tourism: An Experiential Approach to Making Decisions. Routledge. Kajala, L. & et. al., 2007. Visitor Monitoring in Nature Areas: A Manual Based on Experiences from the Nordic and Baltic Countries. Nordic Council of Ministers. Macgregor, J. & et. al., 2006. Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy for the Retezat National Park Region. Report. [Online] Available at: http://www.eceat-projects.org/tourism-manual/2-7%20Sustainable%20Tourism%20Development%20Retezat%20NP.pdf [Accessed May 14, 2013]. Pettersen, L. & Baker, M., 2010. Romania 5. Lonely Planet. Pop, C. & et. al., 2007. Romania as a Tourist Destination and the Romanian Hotel Industry. Sample. [Online] Available at: http://www.c-s-p.org/flyers/9781847182685-sample.pdf Pan Parks, No Date. Retezat National Park. Home. [Online] Available at: http://www.panparks.org/visit/our-parks/retezat-national-park [Accessed May 14, 2013]. Swarbrooke, J., 1999. Sustainable Tourism Management. CABI. Surugiu, C. & et. al., 2009. Tourism and Its Impact upon the Romanian Economy: An Input-Output Approach. Resource. 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