Apuseni Mountains an ecodestination

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Apuseni Mountains an eco-destination
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Sustainable tourism overlook

• Sustainable tourism is an industry which
  attempts to make a low impact on the environment
  and local culture, while helping to generate
  income, employment, and the conservation of local
  ecosystems. It is responsible tourism which is
  both ecologically and culturally sensitive
• Features
• it helps the integrity of the region
• it stimulates quality not quantity
• it doesnt abuse its product
• its informative
• it is profitable for all the members of the
  society
• conservation of resources
• it means great trips

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Ecotourism overlook

• An extremist form of sustainable tourism
• Responsible travel to natural areas that
  conserves the environment and improves the
  well-being of local people."
• Ecotourists are not trying just to reduce their
  impact on the environment - they actually try to
  help the environment and the locals in different
  ways
• They have a social consciousness and a
  responsible attitude.
• Features
• minimize impact
• build environmental and cultural awareness and
  respect
• provide direct financial benefits for
  conservation
• provide financial benefits and empowerment for
  local people
• raise sensitivity to host countries' political,
  environmental, and social climate
• support international human rights and labor
  agreement
• provide positive experiences for both visitors
  and hosts

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International Trends (UNWTO) in 2006

• Total receipts 586 billion euro (7 increase
  from 2005)
• Growth in the emerging regions North Africa
  (17), South Asia (14), North East Asia (12),
  Central America (10), South East Asia (10)
• International arrivals 842 million (5 increase
  from 2005)
• Growth in the developing countries Thailand
  (20), Bahrain (15,5), South Africa (13,9),
  India (13), Morocco (12,2)

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Romanian tourism

• In 2004, Romania was visited by 6600000
  international tourists
• The main countries of origin Hungary (39),
  Moldavia (18), Germany (4,5), Turkey (2,9)
• The main destinations were the seaside (27),
  mountain areas(25)

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Romania ecotourism attractions and activities

• Nature
• Traditions
• Big carnivores wolves, bears, lynxs
• The Danube Delta unique in Europe
• 12 000 caves
• Mountain regions

• Bird watching
• Wildlife watching
• Hiking
• Horse back riding
• Mountain Biking
• Rafting

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Apuseni Mountains tourism potential

• Resources mountain landscape, rivers (White
  water) ,caves, unique plants, animals, fishes and
  birds
• Basic infrastructure transport (access), sewage,
  garbage/ waste disposal, electricity, medical
  care, education
• Tourism infrastructure guesthouses, agro
  tourism, small hotels (aproximately 123
  facilities with 2115 beds), a series of easy
  access attractions Bears cave, Scarisoara
  Glacier, Ponor Citadel, Focul Viu Glacier, the
  Rusty Canyon, the Galbenele Gorges and many
  others

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SWOT analysis

• Strong points
• The impressive natural assets (hundreds of caves
  determined by the geomorphology of the
  mountains) mountain landscape with a high
  touristic potential
• Connections (paths) between villages and the
  attraction points
• The locals have kept a series of traditions
• There is a construction boom in the region
• The implementation of international financeing
  programs regarding ecological issues involving
  the area and infrastructure developement

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• Weaknesses
• Due to the rocky landscape some places are
  isolated.
• The infrastructure is underdeveloped the county
  and local roades are in an advanced state of
  decay, above the national avarage percentage, the
  communication network is underdeveloped, there
  are some villages without electricity
• The water collecting instalations have got low
  capacity, sewege network is in the red
• The reduced level of technical equipement in the
  rural towns
• The railway network is almost non-existent in the
  Apuseni Mountains region
• The existence of some polluting factors that
  decrease the populations health rate
• All the towns in this region have got
  under-proportioned water sewage and the villages
  dont have special ecological cesspits
• The rural population is submitted to an ageing
  process
• The health-care is precarious, the funds alocated
  are deficient for ensuring an appropriate medical
  care in the region.
• The education system has serious problems for
  assuring the minimal required number for a
  classroom
• The touristic capacities dont have the necessary
  accessories
• The lack of appropriate touristic marketing
  strategy
• The cultural-touristical patimony is in a serious
  state of degradation

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• Threats
• The pronunced pollution and the drying of the
  forests produce irreversible damages to some
  natural elements with a high touristic potential.
• Global warming (the decrease of the days with
  snow, increase of temperature, increase of
  precipitations and the negative effects that
  result landslides, flooding, forest fires etc.).
• Lack of awarness and consciosness of the local
  comunities and visitors has negative effects on
  the environment.
• Lack of a landscape planning strategy might
  determine chaotic development

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• Opportunities
• The EU membership (security)
• The aplication of some EU programs in order to
  sustain the investments regarding the protection
  of the environment, rehabilitation and
  development of the network comunication,systems
  of water supply,sewerage, purification of water
  and management of waste.
• Small number of ecodestinations in South Eastern
  and Central Europe
• The existence of natural reservations that offers
  large developement opportunities for agrotourism
• the existence of certain protected areas like The
  Rosia Montana Roman Digs, a series of gorges(The
  Turda gorges, the Rameti gorges, the Valisoara
  gorges,the Ponor gorges) and The National Park
  of Apuseni Mountaines

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Regional development goals

• Global goal Establish Apuseni Mountains as an
  Eco
• destination for national and international
  tourists
• Create a network AMEN (Apuseni Mountains
  Ecotourism Network), in order to involve all the
  private entrepreneurs and public institutions in
  the region and beyond
• Strategy organizing local and regional meetings
  with private and public personalities in order to
  create the above mentioned Network. Inform the
  locals about the need for cooperation
• Results create a strong political and economic
  leverage in order to obtain funding for all the
  investments

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• 2. Obtain funding from the Government and from
  the EU for investments in infrastructure.
• Strategy for some of the infrastructure (roads,
  electricity, sewage) we can rely only on public
  investments. For others (garbage/ waste
  disposal/recycling) we can find sustainable
  solutions at a local/regional level
• Results create an easy access-able, clean and
  secure destination

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• 3. Raise local awareness and help the local
  population
• Strategy organize courses for the local
  population, write and offer free brochures with
  information regarding the impact of their actions
  on the environment. At the same time we have to
  work together with the local community to find
  alternative solutions for incomes in order to
  avoid deforestation (the most important source of
  income of the local population is wood).
• Results the local community will become an
  important partner for the accommodation
  facilities in the region by supplying a series of
  products eco-food, eco-attractions by using
  traditional activities (farming, pottery, wood
  sculptures, weaving etc.)

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• 4. Raise awareness among the visitors
• Strategy if in the case of the local population
  we need to find solutions first for alternative
  sources of incomes and than apply fines if the
  laws are broken, in the case of the tourists we
  need to create a legal framework (laws, rules and
  enforcers rangers) in order to protect the
  natural areas from pollution and degradation
  determined by the external visitors.
• Results attract and educate tourists in the
  spirit of eco tourism and sustainability

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• 5. Attract a larger number of tourists
• Strategy the first step is to create a brand
  that will become the main marketing symbol.
  Because of the small scale of the region we need
  to find the most efficient means to communicate
  with the potential customers. A web site for the
  network is needed although communication in the
  region is difficult. Create theme tours for
  ecotourism (diversification).
• Results the Apuseni Mountains will become the
  eco-destination of Eastern Europe

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APUSENI
ENJOY THE ECOEXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME!
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A problem -gt source of income

• Lack of infrastructure in the field of waste
  management
• Two types of waste wood and plastic
• Both types of products can be recycled and
  transformed into raw materials for other
  products.

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WOOD

• Wood is one the main sources of income for the
  local population. Unfortunately there is a
  serious waste wood problem which is deposited on
  huge surfaces.
• With a small investment we can create a facility
  that transforms this waste wood in all sorts of
  products pens, rulers, supports for mobile
  phones, and magazine folders.
• Necessary investment land surface needed for the
  facility, the main facility and eqipments, one
  vehicle for transporting the wood waste from
  different sites to the facility, courses for
  training the locals
• Advantages reduce the waste, hire locals and
  offer them a source of income, create an
  alternative income for AMEN, advertising by
  branding the products.

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Plastic

• Unfortunately, PET is one of the most popular
  material for the manufacturers but at the same
  time it represents one of the worst nightmares
  for recycling.
• The large number of visitors in the regions and
  the local population create, specially during the
  summer season an enormous quantity of waste which
  is thrown mainly in the rivers.
• Our solution is the construction of another
  facility to transform PET bottles in raw plastic,
  that will be sold to third parties.
• Necessary investments land surface needed for
  the facility, a shed for the necessary
  equipments.
• Advantages reduce the waste, hire locals and
  offer them a source of income, create an
  alternative income for AMEN

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Thank you for your patience !