This article proposes a complex approach to the phenomenon known in the literature as the consumption of user-generated multimedia content (UGMC) in the context of the effects generated by the pandemic on the consumption of tourist services. Thus, it analyzes the ways in which the creation and consumption of multimedia content affect the flow experience and the ways in which consumption experiences related to tourist services are transferred to other consumers. The pandemic crisis has fundamentally affected the ways in which consumers interact online with different types of multimedia content. In particular, consumers of travel services have developed behaviors that promote the transfer of trust in safe tourist destinations based on connecting to various forms of multimedia content (pictures, videos, blog posts, etc.) created and distributed online by other consumers who share their own positive consumer experiences. Based on a sample of 673 respondents, we validate a theoretical model that confirms the influence of the different dimensions of the consumption experience of tourist destinations (sensory, emotional, cognitive, conative, and relational). The influence is exerted at the level of the flow experience and exploratory behavior—the experience lived as a combination of elements, of which the emotional dimension is among the strongest, due to the anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Competitiveness of SMEs (Small or Medium Enterprise) within the tourism field has been of a great interest for many scholars over time. Due to the crisis conditions specific to the present time, the issue of competitiveness becomes a very sensitive one, giving rise to sometimes contradictory points of view. Our research aims to analyze the opinions and perceptions of SME managers in the field of tourism in terms of the concept of competitiveness, how to measure it and sources of competitiveness still viable within the context of the current crisis or specific to it, etc. In order to be able to properly analyze the above, qualitative research was initiated and conducted in the form of an in-depth interview with 42 Romanian SME managers in the tourism field. The results of the study reflect a mature approach of managers in terms of possible new sources of competitiveness—the emphasis on technical solutions capable of managing the socio-medical dimensions of tourism consumer behavior, a prevalence for an organic growth strategy and for additional investments in qualified personnel, as well as online management of most aspects related to services and openness to collaboration within tourism clusters.

The value of art in persuasion integrates the country’s culture and art according to marketing communication. Our research examined the impact of artistic communication values on customers’ behavior as a sustainable effect on the country of origin by applying two hypotheses. These hypotheses were tested on 689 respondents, mainly from Romania. This marketing communication analysis indicated that persuasion had more value for customers when ethical rhetorical arguments, dialects, poetry, essays, poems, and fairy tales were linked to a country’s culture, such as tradition, national values, and heritage, or were combined with art, such as paintings, sculptures, and music. The results demonstrated that artistic communication influenced consumer behavior positively, having a sustainable effect on the country of origin.

City life has become the norm for most of the global population and building sustainable cities is a growing trend, together with an increased focus on healthier lifestyles in urban settings. Given this framework, the concept of ‘rurbanization’ is gaining momentum as more and more people are interested in bringing natural green spaces within the urban setting. For this purpose, a research (online survey on a sample of 500 respondents) was developed to discover youths’ perceptions on what a sustainable city means, their perspectives on the urbanization problems, and willingness to take action towards improving the green aspects of their urban life. Results revealed that sustainable life perception vary a lot across the young generation, but opinions on what are the city life issues tend to converge to similar points, such as air quality, disconnection with nature, greenhouse effect, urban heat islands, and water quality. When it comes to rurbanization solutions for a greener urban life, young people lean more towards individual solutions, be it an easy and short-term one, such as endowing their home with more green plants, or a more drastic one, such as moving altogether from the city area towards greener locations. Results were also used in designing a conceptual model for actions towards rurbanization.