Authors Affiliations Mihaela Preda (1), Monica Maria Cincasciuc (1), Iuliana Vijulie* (1) (1) University of Bucharest, Romania * Corresponding author Email: iuliana.vijulie@geo.unibuc.ro
Authors Affiliations Mihaela Preda (1), Monica Maria Cincasciuc (1), Iuliana Vijulie* (1) (1) University of Bucharest, Romania * Corresponding author Email: iuliana.vijulie@geo.unibuc.ro
In a natural park, tourism is seen as an economic activity that can easily bring many benefits. Apuseni Natural Park (ANP)was chosen as a case study because it impacts communities (and especially moți) which have preserved their culture and traditions, coming from ancient times, in an area with remarkable natural and anthropogenic tourist resources. The aim of the study is to analyse the perception of local communities (endogenous), and visitors (exogenous), in order to highlight the heritage, economic advantages, and constraints in the natural park. The research is based on survey method and a number of spatial analysis tools, GIS, bibliographic sources, cartographic data mining, and field observations. The results show that local communities perceive in a high ratio the advantages of heritage preservation, linking them to the improvement of their life and less the disadvantages on the local economy. A more significant contrast in perception is revealed by tourists, who think that a national park has many advantages and constraints, the last ones accounting for the possible loss of functioning of the destination. In the frame of the recognised attractiveness of the ANP, the study suggests the need for a continuous monitoring process and the adoption of a receptive administration for each area and every actor involved.
Gates represent an important component of the Romanian domestic life since historical times. They function as a barrier between the sacred family space from inside the household and the space and potential dangers from outside it. Traditional wooden gates have been inscribed with specific elements, thus functioning simultaneously as a household utility and conserving a common identity through their symbolism. Szekely gates represent a lesser-known and studied element of ethnocultural heritage, although the area where they are located has been in the last few years and will probably continue to be a very dynamic and sought after tourism destination. The wooden Székely gates, found in areas inhabited by this ethnic minority, represent a true accumulation of both Romanian and Székely rituals and symbols. The aim of the study is to highlight the importance of the gates for the traditional ethnographic heritage of this ethnic minority with real implications for the development of local cultural and heritage tourism. The objectives of the study consist in identifying the main areas of distribution for Székely gates in Transylvania, the significance of their main symbols and the level of their current national and international promotion. The research methodology included direct observations, GIS techniques, and field investigations. The results of this exploratory study show the location of the traditional Székely gates and their diversity, and the coexistence of a Romanian symbolism with one that is exclusively local through specific motifs and colours. This diversity and coexistence of symbols gives the possibility of inserting Székely gates as added cultural values into an already visible and viable tourism area.
The aim of this paper is to analyze the distribution and dimensional structure of the farms depending on their legal status, and the owners’ perceptions on the current status. The main research methods used in the study were: direct observation method, digital mapping, statistical analysis, surveying (semi-structured interview) and SWOT analysis. The Boianu Plain is by excellence an agricultural region. Its arable land is worked/operated by three main categories of farms: individual holdings, family farming associations and farming societies. Production obtained within individual holdings is always lower comparative to family farming associations and especially to farming societies. Partnership helps farmers to join their technical and financial means in order to increase the annual production and, implicitly, gain profit. In this respect, the farmers’ perception resulted from the semi-structured interviews is a good evaluation instrument. The most critical issue at local level is making individual farmers aware of the benefits of family association and/or farmland leasing. The SWOT analysis reveals the possibility of an efficient management as driven by the way that the existing opportunities are able to mitigate or completely remove the weaknesses. The Boianu Plain has a very good agricultural potential in a highly favourable environment, but poorly capitalized.