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Romanian Academy
Tourism and Rural Space
28th International Conference
22-23 May 2026
Vatra Dornei
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Keynote Speakers
Friday, 22 May
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM (Bucharest Time)
National Agency for Mountain Areas (ANZM)
Aula Magna
Chairs: Emanuela Adina NICULA (Romania)
Connect online
2026
Gül Erkol Bayram
Professor & Vice Dean, Faculty of Tourism, Sinop University & Director, International Relations Practice and Research Center, Sinop University, Sinop, Türkiye
Mohammad Shahparan
Lecturer, Faculty of Tourism Management, "Silk Road" International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Education for Tourism and Hospitality: Threats, Trends and Opportunities
Due to the dynamics of the experience economy, sustainability priorities, innovations, and evolving experiences, the global tourism and hospitality sector is rapidly transforming and developing. Currently, the education system is increasingly pressured to generate a skilled and efficient workforce in the tourism and hospitality industry, including hotels, MICE, wellness, creative industries, travel agencies, and destination management. This keynote addresses the key threats facing tourism and hospitality education, including skill mismatches, the gap between academic preparation and industry demand, and significant labor shortages. Dual demands are important for the tourism and hospitality industry, besides strong technical competencies in operations skills industry also needs critical soft skills like emotional intelligence, communication, problem solving, and stress resilience. The session also explores emerging trends that will influence the sector going forward, such as digital transformations, immersive and customized services, hybrid guest experiences, and sustainable business models. With the help of applied learning, industry partnerships, project-based training, and internship integration, these advancements offer educational institutions significant chances to modify their curricula. In order to meet international standards, improve employability, and support the industry's long-term competitiveness and sustainable growth, this keynote will offer strategic insights into how tourism and hospitality education can change. This keynote invites educators, researchers, and industry stakeholders to reconsider traditional educational paradigms and to collaboratively shape a resilient, future-oriented framework for tourism and hospitality education in a rapidly evolving global environment.
Education for Tourism and Hospitality: Threats, Trends and Opportunities
Due to the dynamics of the experience economy, sustainability priorities, innovations, and evolving experiences, the global tourism and hospitality sector is rapidly transforming and developing. Currently, the education system is increasingly pressured to generate a skilled and efficient workforce in the tourism and hospitality industry, including hotels, MICE, wellness, creative industries, travel agencies, and destination management. This keynote addresses the key threats facing tourism and hospitality education, including skill mismatches, the gap between academic preparation and industry demand, and significant labor shortages. Dual demands are important for the tourism and hospitality industry, besides strong technical competencies in operations skills industry also needs critical soft skills like emotional intelligence, communication, problem solving, and stress resilience. The session also explores emerging trends that will influence the sector going forward, such as digital transformations, immersive and customized services, hybrid guest experiences, and sustainable business models. With the help of applied learning, industry partnerships, project-based training, and internship integration, these advancements offer educational institutions significant chances to modify their curricula. In order to meet international standards, improve employability, and support the industry's long-term competitiveness and sustainable growth, this keynote will offer strategic insights into how tourism and hospitality education can change. This keynote invites educators, researchers, and industry stakeholders to reconsider traditional educational paradigms and to collaboratively shape a resilient, future-oriented framework for tourism and hospitality education in a rapidly evolving global environment.
Vimal Chandra Verma
Senior Assistant Professor, Faculty of Commerce, Siddharth University, Kapilvastu, Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India
Gastronomic Tourism as a Catalyst for Rural Development: Opportunities, Sustainability, and Cultural Preservation
Gastronomic tourism has emerged as a dynamic and transformative dimension of contemporary tourism, particularly within rural spaces where culture, agriculture, and tradition are deeply intertwined. This keynote explores the role of gastronomic tourism as a strategic tool for rural development, emphasizing its capacity to generate economic opportunities, preserve cultural heritage, and promote sustainable practices. The study highlights how rural regions can leverage their unique culinary traditions, indigenous ingredients, and local food systems to create authentic tourism experiences. By integrating agriculture with tourism through farm-to-table models, food festivals, and local culinary enterprises, gastronomic tourism contributes to income diversification, employment generation, and entrepreneurial development, especially among women and youth. Furthermore, the abstract underscores the importance of gastronomy in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, including traditional recipes, cooking techniques, and community-based knowledge systems. In the context of increasing globalization, gastronomic tourism serves as a means to reinforce local identity while enhancing destination attractiveness. The paper also addresses key challenges such as lack of infrastructure, limited marketing of rural cuisine, issues of standardization versus authenticity, and the risks of over-commercialization. It emphasizes the need for policy support, capacity building, digital integration, and public-private-community partnerships to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth. By drawing on global and regional perspectives, the keynote advocates for a holistic framework where gastronomy acts as a bridge between rural livelihoods, cultural sustainability, and experiential tourism. The findings suggest that well-planned gastronomic tourism initiatives can transform rural spaces into vibrant economic and cultural hubs, contributing significantly to sustainable rural development.
Gastronomic Tourism as a Catalyst for Rural Development: Opportunities, Sustainability, and Cultural Preservation
Gastronomic tourism has emerged as a dynamic and transformative dimension of contemporary tourism, particularly within rural spaces where culture, agriculture, and tradition are deeply intertwined. This keynote explores the role of gastronomic tourism as a strategic tool for rural development, emphasizing its capacity to generate economic opportunities, preserve cultural heritage, and promote sustainable practices. The study highlights how rural regions can leverage their unique culinary traditions, indigenous ingredients, and local food systems to create authentic tourism experiences. By integrating agriculture with tourism through farm-to-table models, food festivals, and local culinary enterprises, gastronomic tourism contributes to income diversification, employment generation, and entrepreneurial development, especially among women and youth. Furthermore, the abstract underscores the importance of gastronomy in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, including traditional recipes, cooking techniques, and community-based knowledge systems. In the context of increasing globalization, gastronomic tourism serves as a means to reinforce local identity while enhancing destination attractiveness. The paper also addresses key challenges such as lack of infrastructure, limited marketing of rural cuisine, issues of standardization versus authenticity, and the risks of over-commercialization. It emphasizes the need for policy support, capacity building, digital integration, and public-private-community partnerships to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth. By drawing on global and regional perspectives, the keynote advocates for a holistic framework where gastronomy acts as a bridge between rural livelihoods, cultural sustainability, and experiential tourism. The findings suggest that well-planned gastronomic tourism initiatives can transform rural spaces into vibrant economic and cultural hubs, contributing significantly to sustainable rural development.
2025
Gül Erkol Bayram
Associate Professor & Vice Dean, Faculty of Tourism, Sinop University & Director, International Relations Practice and Research Center, Sinop University, Sinop, Türkiye
Marco Valeri
Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, Niccolò Cusano University, Rome, Italy // Lecturer, Xenophon College, London, United Kingdom // Associate Researcher, Magellan Research Center, School of Management, Jean Moulin University, Lyon, France
Fergus Maclaren
President Emeritus, International Cultural Tourism Committee of International Council on Monuments and Sites – ICOMOS, Chelsea, Quebec, Canada
Jeetesh Kumar
Head of Research, Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management & Senior Lecturer, School of Hospitality, Tourism and Events & Associate Director for Information Management and Documentation, Centre for Research and Innovation in Tourism, Hospitality and Food Studies (CRiT), Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
2024
Gül Erkol Bayram
Associate Professor & Vice Dean, Faculty of Tourism, Sinop University, Sinop, Türkiye
Exploring Romania: Navigating New Tourism Roads amidst Challenges and Future Prospects
This presentation explores the evolving landscape of tourism in Romania, examining the interplay between challenges and opportunities as the country strives to redefine its position on the global tourism map. Romania boasts a rich tapestry of cultural heritage, breathtaking landscapes, and untapped potential, yet it grapples with infrastructural deficiencies, environmental concerns, and economic fluctuations. Against this backdrop, stakeholders are forging new paths in tourism, leveraging innovation, sustainability, and strategic planning to overcome obstacles and capitalize on emerging trends. This presentation offers a comprehensive analysis of the current state of Romanian tourism, identifying key challenges and outlining strategies for sustainable growth and development. By envisioning future prospects and navigating uncharted territories, this abstract aims to shed light on Romania's journey towards becoming a premier destination while addressing the complexities and opportunities inherent in its tourism industry.
Exploring Romania: Navigating New Tourism Roads amidst Challenges and Future Prospects
This presentation explores the evolving landscape of tourism in Romania, examining the interplay between challenges and opportunities as the country strives to redefine its position on the global tourism map. Romania boasts a rich tapestry of cultural heritage, breathtaking landscapes, and untapped potential, yet it grapples with infrastructural deficiencies, environmental concerns, and economic fluctuations. Against this backdrop, stakeholders are forging new paths in tourism, leveraging innovation, sustainability, and strategic planning to overcome obstacles and capitalize on emerging trends. This presentation offers a comprehensive analysis of the current state of Romanian tourism, identifying key challenges and outlining strategies for sustainable growth and development. By envisioning future prospects and navigating uncharted territories, this abstract aims to shed light on Romania's journey towards becoming a premier destination while addressing the complexities and opportunities inherent in its tourism industry.
Marco Valeri
Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, Niccolò Cusano University, Rome, Italy // Lecturer, Xenophon College, London, United Kingdom // Associate Researcher, Magellan Research Center, School of Management, Jean Moulin University, Lyon, France
Digital Transformation and Sustainable Oriented Innovation
The presentation focuses on a bibliometric study that provides an overview of research related to digital transformation (DT) in the tourism industry from 2013 to 2023. The research goals are as follows: (1) to identify the development of academic papers related to DT in the tourism industry, (2) to analyze dominant research topics and the evolution of research interest and impact over time, and (3) to examine the change in research topics during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Digital Transformation and Sustainable Oriented Innovation
The presentation focuses on a bibliometric study that provides an overview of research related to digital transformation (DT) in the tourism industry from 2013 to 2023. The research goals are as follows: (1) to identify the development of academic papers related to DT in the tourism industry, (2) to analyze dominant research topics and the evolution of research interest and impact over time, and (3) to examine the change in research topics during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sunil Kumar
Professor & Director of Academics, Institute of Hospitality, Management and Sciences, Kotdwar, Uttarakhand, India
Rural Tourism Transformative Journeys into the Heart of the Rural Heritage
This research paper explores the multifaceted impact of rural tourism on preserving and promoting cultural heritage in Pauri Garhwal, an area located in the Himalayan foothills of India. Through a rigorous analysis of data collected from 200 tourists, we utilize various statistical methodologies including chi-square tests, t-tests, and regression analysis to assess the significant effects of rural tourism on both the local community and visiting tourists. Our findings indicate that rural tourism plays a pivotal role in driving economic development and preserving the cultural heritage of Pauri Garhwal. This study also sheds light on how rural tourism facilitates sustainable growth and heritage conservation in rural landscapes like Pauri Garhwal. Additionally, we examine how rural tourism facilitates meaningful interactions between tourists and locals, fostering cross-cultural understanding and community empowerment. By providing a nuanced examination, this research offers insights into the transformative potential of rural tourism as a catalyst for holistic development and cultural preservation in rural regions.
Rural Tourism Transformative Journeys into the Heart of the Rural Heritage
This research paper explores the multifaceted impact of rural tourism on preserving and promoting cultural heritage in Pauri Garhwal, an area located in the Himalayan foothills of India. Through a rigorous analysis of data collected from 200 tourists, we utilize various statistical methodologies including chi-square tests, t-tests, and regression analysis to assess the significant effects of rural tourism on both the local community and visiting tourists. Our findings indicate that rural tourism plays a pivotal role in driving economic development and preserving the cultural heritage of Pauri Garhwal. This study also sheds light on how rural tourism facilitates sustainable growth and heritage conservation in rural landscapes like Pauri Garhwal. Additionally, we examine how rural tourism facilitates meaningful interactions between tourists and locals, fostering cross-cultural understanding and community empowerment. By providing a nuanced examination, this research offers insights into the transformative potential of rural tourism as a catalyst for holistic development and cultural preservation in rural regions.
Ananya Bhattacharya
Co-Founder & Director, banglanatak.com, Kolkata, West Bengal, India // Vice President, International Cultural Tourism Committee, International Council on Monuments and Sites - ICOMOS, Paris, France
Regenerative Rural Tourism Pivoting on Living Heritage
Regenerative rural tourism offers new possibilities of positive impact on destinations in a post pandemic world affected by climate change. Rural tourism has many challenges ranging from heritage preservation and management, inadequate infrastructure, accessibility, environmental impact, economic sustainability, marketing and promotion, pitfalls of heritage commercialization, etc. The ICOMOS International Charter for Cultural Heritage Tourism which supports a more responsible and sustainable tourism management will be presented. The Charter recognizes heritage as a common resource. The governance and enjoyment of these commons are indeed shared rights and responsibilities. The charter addresses how communities and tourism stakeholders can create positive impact in destinations through participatory governance of heritage commons and take action to manage and mitigate climate impact, risks of disruption or intensification of use of tourism resources and leverage traditional knowledge to build resilience. Case stories from India where rural tourism is pivoted on intangible cultural heritage and the tradition bearers are the protagonists of the commercialization process will be shared. This approach has transformed underserved habitats to cultural destinations, revitalized local culture and fostered socio economic empowerment of the communities. Safeguarding of living heritage has resulted in strengthening community identity and pride and engaged women and youth in heritage tourism management. Key strategies have been capacity building of the tradition bearers for innovations enhancing visitor experiences, building public awareness using intellectual property-based tools and digital storytelling.
Regenerative Rural Tourism Pivoting on Living Heritage
Regenerative rural tourism offers new possibilities of positive impact on destinations in a post pandemic world affected by climate change. Rural tourism has many challenges ranging from heritage preservation and management, inadequate infrastructure, accessibility, environmental impact, economic sustainability, marketing and promotion, pitfalls of heritage commercialization, etc. The ICOMOS International Charter for Cultural Heritage Tourism which supports a more responsible and sustainable tourism management will be presented. The Charter recognizes heritage as a common resource. The governance and enjoyment of these commons are indeed shared rights and responsibilities. The charter addresses how communities and tourism stakeholders can create positive impact in destinations through participatory governance of heritage commons and take action to manage and mitigate climate impact, risks of disruption or intensification of use of tourism resources and leverage traditional knowledge to build resilience. Case stories from India where rural tourism is pivoted on intangible cultural heritage and the tradition bearers are the protagonists of the commercialization process will be shared. This approach has transformed underserved habitats to cultural destinations, revitalized local culture and fostered socio economic empowerment of the communities. Safeguarding of living heritage has resulted in strengthening community identity and pride and engaged women and youth in heritage tourism management. Key strategies have been capacity building of the tradition bearers for innovations enhancing visitor experiences, building public awareness using intellectual property-based tools and digital storytelling.
2023
Gül Erkol Bayram
Associate Professor & Head of Department of Tour Guiding, School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Sinop University, Sinop, Türkiye
Rethinking Romanian Tourism for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth
Rethinking Romanian Tourism for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth
Marco Valeri
Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, Niccolò Cusano University, Rome, Italy // Lecturer, Xenophon College, London, United Kingdom // Associate Researcher, Magellan Research Center, School of Management, Jean Moulin University, Lyon, France
Creativity and Tourism in Rural Context
Creativity and Tourism in Rural Context
2022
Gül Erkol Bayram
Associate Professor & Head of Department of Tour Guiding, School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Sinop University, Sinop, Türkiye
Natural vs. Virtual Experiences: Where Will We Want to Travel?
Natural vs. Virtual Experiences: Where Will We Want to Travel?
2021
Gül Erkol Bayram
Associate Professor & Head of Department of Tour Guiding, School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Sinop University, Sinop, Türkiye
Tour Guides in Rural Areas Post-Pandemics
Tour Guides in Rural Areas Post-Pandemics
Gheorghe Săvoiu
Professor, Faculty of Economics and Law, University of Pitești, Romania
Responsible Business in Hotel Tourism as a Response to COVID-19
Responsible Business in Hotel Tourism as a Response to COVID-19
CONTACT
Georgia Tacu
Tel: +40 759 669 081
E-mail: geo_tacu@yahoo.com
Dănuț Ungureanu
Tel: +40 745 865 163
E-mail: danut_u@yahoo.com
WRITE TO US!
ADDRESS
National Agency for Mountain Areas - ANZM
23 Runc Street, 725700, Vatra Dornei, Romania
Centre of Training and Innovation for Development
in the Carpathians - CEFIDEC
23 Runc Street, 725700, Vatra Dornei, Romania
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