Tourism Clusters – a model for the development of innovative tourism products

Thorsten Kirschner – Cluster Manager

www.tourism-cluster-romania.com

Cluster Definitions

Enterprise or industry cluster = geographic concentration of inter-connected companies, specialised suppliers, service providers and institutions along an industrial value chain

Tourism cluster = accumulation of tourist resources and attractions, infrastructures, equipments, service companies, other supporting sectors and administrative organism whose integrated and coordinated activities allow to provide the customers with the experience they expect from the destination they choose to visit.

Carpathian Tourism Cluster

Carpathian Tourism Cluster is an independent network of regional and

national tourism stakeholders and Romania´s first supra-regional

tourismus cluster of national interest.

Carpathian Tourism Cluster is a non-profit, non-govermental organisation, organised as association according to

Romanian law. 

Asociaţia pentru Promovarea şi Dezvoltarea Turismului

din judeţul Braşov

Monteoru Renaissance - Asociaţia pentru dezvoltareregională durabilă în turism – judeţul Buzău

Initiators:

Benefits

Partners in the alliance bring in specific strengths, not their business as a whole. They cooperate in specific fields and rest competitors in other fields.

Linking people, skills and knowledge at a regional level does enhance productivity and rate of employment

Boosts innovation Improves competitive performance of firms Improves resource utilisations Stimulates new businesses and investments Gives a profile to a region and international publicity

Target group & Members

Tourism development associations and related NGOs Local and national authorities Tour operators/ Travel agencies/ Tourism guides Event agencies Accomodation providers (hotels, hotel chains etc.) Suppliers of the tourism industry (equipment, food, beverage) Leisure and entertainment industry (golf, tourist parks etc.) Transportation companies (airlines, bus companies etc.) Service and consulting companies Universities, training institutes

Whole regional tourism value chain

Suppliers

Tour operators

Tourism agencies

Accomodation

Transport

Entertainment

Objectives

Innovation and diversification: Development of innovative tourism products

and services to attract new tourists Rise of competitiveness: optimise the value chain in the local tourism

industry Quality: improve the quality of the touristic services (European standards) Cooperation: exchange of ideas and joint projects between the touristic

regions of the Carpathian Mountains and other international tourism

destination Promotion: promote the Romanian Carpathian Mountains as “destination of

excellence” within the national tourism promotion strategy “Romania – explore

the Carpathian Garden”

Activities & Projects

Networking: Organisation of regular meetings of regional and national tourism stakeholders Thematic working groups (development of new tourism products and services, quality management, events, tourism promotion etc.) Training to improve the regional tourism value chain (suppliers – agencies – service providers) Participation to trade fairs, organisation of road shows International cooperation/ international benchmark with leading tourist destinations Consulting: Advisory function to public authorities

The projects are developed in cooperation/partnership with national and local authorities, tourism development associations and leading tourism service providers.

Project examples

Cycling Routes Culinary Concepts

Cultural Events Conferences

Project examples: Mobile Cooking Romania

Local Products Romania’s top destinations

+ +

= Added Value

Accomodation

+

Tradition

Suppliers Destinations Service Providers

Running /Planned Projects

Promotion of regional food tradition and integration of local products into the tourism value chain

Development and promotion of homologated cycling routes in the Carpathian and Subcarpathian mountains area

Development and promotion of an authentic rural tourism in the Carpathian Mountains area(in cooperation with Asociatia Cele Mai Frumoase Sate din Romania)

Contact

Carpathian Tourism Cluster Romania (CTCR)Str. Vlad Tepes 12Brasov/ Kronstadt

E-mail: info@tourism-cluster-romania.com

www.tourism-cluster-romania.com