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Post Doctoral Researcher
01 October 2019 - 01 March 2021
Others
01 April 2018 - 01 March 2021
University Educator/Researcher
01 June 2017 - 01 March 2021
Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei (Avram) is a Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies graduate (class of 2008-2013), with a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree from The Faculty of Commerce (now named The Faculty of Business and Commerce). She also has a Master’s degree from the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in “Research and Operational Interventions in Social, Medical and Public Health Services Management” and a PhD in the field of business management, with the thesis “Innovative Methods in Romanian Spa Natural Resource Exploitation through Tourist Services”. Between July 2014 and November 2015, she had a POSDRU research scholarship in the MINERVA cooperation project for elite PhD and post-PhD research careers. While enrolled in the MINERVA project, she benefitted from a student mobility research program, between January and April 2015, at the Lleida University in Lleida, Spain. Alina is editor-in-chief and founder of the Junior Scientific Researcher online research journal. The publication was founded in 2015 after she won the Start-Up Smart funding project for young entrepreneurs. Alina also founded the Catalog Med Tour website for medical tourism in 2012.
Project Goal: Teaching academic writing
Current Stage: Inprogress
Project Goal: Postdoctoral grant
Current Stage: Analysing data
Project Goal: Learning how to apply for MSCA-IF Master Grant
Current Stage: closed
Project Goal: Networking for research projects
Current Stage: closed
The present paper consists of a co-word analysis of the previous research in the medical spa field published in the Web Science Core Collection database. The study’s main purpose is to identify the past trends in the medical spa field from the tourist and medical perspectives and to anticipate the future research focuses in the field. In this regard, the article is based on four objectives that create a descriptive picture of the research in the medical spa area, such as (i) studying the current state of the art, (ii) analysing the most visible articles in the field, (iii) highlighting the leading research interests in medical spa research and (iv) anticipating new possible research trends that link cost-effective medical spa activity to COVID-19 post-recovery treatments. A total of 627 articles, published between 1997 and 2021 (March), were analysed, and the data were interpreted using the VOS Viewer software. The study results indicate that high interest in medical spas started to become observable in 2015, when the funding bodies became interested in this field and began supporting publishing and research regarding medical spas. The main subjects investigated in previous studies were related to the specific issues of the industry and tourism activity. They also considered the medical approach of the spa and the use of natural resources in treating different diseases. Except for these main interests, since 2020, it has started to become evident that another approach in the published studies may lead to a new trend in research. The study results show that researchers have begun to investigate the possibility of using medical spa resorts to aid post-COVID-19 recovery, which is considered a cost-efficient option for completing traditional treatment. This new focus in research proves that the medical spa field can rebrand itself as playing a supportive role in national healthcare systems in countries with a long tradition in balneotherapy, and gives a new developing trajectory to the medical spa industry.
Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei; Puiu Nistoreanu; Daniel Avram; Bogdan Gabriel Nistoreanu. Past and Future Trends in Medical Spas: A Co-Word Analysis. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9646 .
AMA StyleAlina-Cerasela Aluculesei, Puiu Nistoreanu, Daniel Avram, Bogdan Gabriel Nistoreanu. Past and Future Trends in Medical Spas: A Co-Word Analysis. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (17):9646.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlina-Cerasela Aluculesei; Puiu Nistoreanu; Daniel Avram; Bogdan Gabriel Nistoreanu. 2021. "Past and Future Trends in Medical Spas: A Co-Word Analysis." Sustainability 13, no. 17: 9646.
The present article includes descriptive research about how water resources in Romanian medical spas could be better promoted to increase their visibility. Romania is one of the European countries with impressive potential in terms of balneology, having a wide diversity of natural factors that allow treating several medical conditions in the same resort. In addition, one-third of the mineral and thermal water springs in Europe are present on the Romanian territory, making Romania one of the most important European destinations in terms of natural spa resources. The present research aims to illustrate how the Romanian medical spas communicate with tourists about the therapeutic water available in five medical spas: Băile Felix-1 Mai, Techirghiol, Băile Tușnad, Sovata and Covasna, having as its main objective to raise the awareness among the spas representatives regarding the necessity of water management implementation. The research is based on primary data obtained from the official websites of the resorts included in the study and in the published scholarly articles that approached the Romanian medical spas.
Puiu Nistoreanu; Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei. Can Spa Tourism Enhance Water Resources and Turn Them into a National Brand? A Theoretical Review about the Romanian Case. Information 2021, 12, 270 .
AMA StylePuiu Nistoreanu, Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei. Can Spa Tourism Enhance Water Resources and Turn Them into a National Brand? A Theoretical Review about the Romanian Case. Information. 2021; 12 (7):270.
Chicago/Turabian StylePuiu Nistoreanu; Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei. 2021. "Can Spa Tourism Enhance Water Resources and Turn Them into a National Brand? A Theoretical Review about the Romanian Case." Information 12, no. 7: 270.
The present paper examines the evolution of Romanian seaside tourism between 2008–2018 to find the connection between climate change and the number of total tourist arrivals. The vicious cycle of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change has become one of the most critical topics discussed due to its negative effect on the wellbeing of the planet and its impact on sustainable economic development in the long run. Various economic activities, including tourism, could be subject to dramatic changes due to global warming. Depending on the geographical location of tourist destinations, and the degree of fluctuation in climate indicators, there have been dramatic shifts in visitor flow. This situation has been aggravated as countries that were once famous for their summer season and seaside holidays are now affected by high temperatures. Such temperatures can hardly be tolerated by tourists, particularly those from the Nordic countries. By comparison, there are countries that have been known to have only two or three full summer months suitable for tourism at the seaside and which in the last years have had a more extended summer season. This situation could turn into a significant competitive regional economic advantage for countries such as Romania, at least in the short- and medium-term. In this context, we aim to investigate whether there are climatic conditions, such as the extension of the tourist season on the coast (in the case of destinations that have four seasons and are known for having a shorter number of summer days), that can be turned into advantages. In this regard, we have conducted exploratory research to analyse if there is a statistically significant correlation between the indicators regarding climate change and tourism arrivals on the Romanian seaside, namely Constanta county. For our study, we used secondary data, provided by the Romanian National Meteorological Administration and the National Institute of Statistics, and accumulated a detailed profile of Romanian seaside summer tourism in the context of actual climate changes and challenges. Climate change may have significant consequences on the tourism industry and economic growth as well. Information on the direct effects higher temperatures could have on tourism is lacking. Improving policy analysis is necessary to reduce uncertainties, further understanding, assess implications and enable the tourism industry to adapt to changing circumstances.
George-Cornel Dumitrescu; Simona Poladian; Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei. Repositioning of Romanian Seaside Tourism as an Effect of Climate Change. Information 2021, 12, 108 .
AMA StyleGeorge-Cornel Dumitrescu, Simona Poladian, Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei. Repositioning of Romanian Seaside Tourism as an Effect of Climate Change. Information. 2021; 12 (3):108.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGeorge-Cornel Dumitrescu; Simona Poladian; Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei. 2021. "Repositioning of Romanian Seaside Tourism as an Effect of Climate Change." Information 12, no. 3: 108.
The tourism industry is facing nowadays a wide range of issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic or accentuated by it. The dramatic decline in tourist flows in every destination forced stakeholders to rethink the actual model of business and to adapt to the new reality. The need for social distancing and the fear of tourists to visit crowded places prepared the field for more sustainable tourist activity, based on green products and services. In this context, new and innovative products like rural wellness tourism can take momentum and offer the visitors the opportunity of spending the free time in nature, in less polluted areas and with a higher impact of health. Italy is one of the most representative tourist destinations worldwide, with a wide range of attractions that make both urban and rural spots to be visited annually by millions of tourists. Tourism also supports the local economy and helps local communities from less developed regions to diversify their sources of income, as is the case of Puglia region, known for its agricultural potential. Puglia is one of the Italian regions where local authorities encourage the development of tourist activities, especially those specific to the ecotourism niche, as a real alternative to agriculture. In the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, ecotourism can represent the solution for a faster economic recovery of the southern region of the country that was dramatically affected by the lockdown imposed by the authorities in the first part of 2020. Based on the wellness tradition from the region and the international reputation of the Termes from this area, Puglia region can develop the concept of rural wellbeing tourism and promote a more sustainable tourist model. The present paper analyses the potential of Puglia region to introduce in its offer rural wellbeing tourism packages taking into account the profile of a spa and thermal center in the area in terms of structure and business model. The results were obtained by applying a structured questionnaire in one of the most representative thermal units in the region and the answers were interpreted using Qualitative Content Analysis. The results show that Puglia region could thrive the concept of rural wellbeing tourism and adapt it to the particularities of the area. Adopting such an innovative tourist concept that is based on a sustainable way to explore natural resources would have a significant impact on Italian tourism by creating a new trend among tourists. In this regard, the guests will have another opportunity to spend their holidays more sustainably, with a considerably lower impact on the environment.
Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei; Daniel Avram. THE OPPORTUNITY OF DEVELOPING RURAL WELLBEING TOURISM IN PUGLIA REGION, ITALY IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC. SWS Journal of SOCIAL SCIENCES AND ART 2021, 2, 1 -10.
AMA StyleAlina-Cerasela Aluculesei, Daniel Avram. THE OPPORTUNITY OF DEVELOPING RURAL WELLBEING TOURISM IN PUGLIA REGION, ITALY IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC. SWS Journal of SOCIAL SCIENCES AND ART. 2021; 2 (3):1-10.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlina-Cerasela Aluculesei; Daniel Avram. 2021. "THE OPPORTUNITY OF DEVELOPING RURAL WELLBEING TOURISM IN PUGLIA REGION, ITALY IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC." SWS Journal of SOCIAL SCIENCES AND ART 2, no. 3: 1-10.
The focus on sustainability represents the key to the tourism industry today. Green marketing was constantly on the agenda of local authorities and started to be a subject of interest for Academia too, but it was very little approached in the Eastern European countries, especially in the tourism studies. This article describes the presence of green marketing in Romanian ecotourism and its impact on tourist’s perception. Due to its natural landscapes and tourist attractions, Romanian ecotourism can take advantage of green marketing practices and promote tourism products based on the new preference of the tourists for sustainable activities. However, there is a lack of legislative framework regarding green labeling that can effect in the long term the destination brand. The main objective of the present article is to give an overview image of the online presence of the Romanian ecotourist accommodation units that applied for the Eco-label provided by the ECO-Romania Association. The study describes how these establishments use green marketing practices and if their guests perceive the green image too. The methodology of the study consists of a qualitative analysis of the primary data obtained by the authors from the websites of ECO Romania Association, TripAdvisor platform and accommodation units. The results show a high interest of the accommodation units from the ecotourism field for green marketing practices which is also perceived by tourists. The tendency of tourism stakeholders to apply for an accreditation system provided by non-governmental organization instead of choosing a European accreditation shows the impact of such a national initiative and emphasizes the need to develop a legal framework for green ecotourism practices.
Puiu Nistoreanu; Alina-Cerasela Avram (Aluculesei); Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei (Avram). Is Green Marketing a Label for Ecotourism? The Romanian Experience. Information 2020, 11, 389 .
AMA StylePuiu Nistoreanu, Alina-Cerasela Avram (Aluculesei), Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei (Avram). Is Green Marketing a Label for Ecotourism? The Romanian Experience. Information. 2020; 11 (8):389.
Chicago/Turabian StylePuiu Nistoreanu; Alina-Cerasela Avram (Aluculesei); Alina-Cerasela Aluculesei (Avram). 2020. "Is Green Marketing a Label for Ecotourism? The Romanian Experience." Information 11, no. 8: 389.