Smart Tourist Village—An Entrepreneurial Necessity for Maramures Rural Area

Abstract

The necessity of entrepreneurship in rural area is an actual one. A smart entrepreneurial variant of contemporary village’s development could be “the smart tourist village”, to capitalize rural resources. Thus, in this research we come to a variant of contemporary village’s development, respectively “smart tourist village”, which is the basic idea of the work. To demonstrate that the notion of “smart tourist village” can be a future idea of sustainable rural entrepreneurship the steps undertaken were: the identification of the representative aspects of the villages from Maramures and of their specific resources presentation of the specific aspects; the study also made a quantitative presentation of the rural tourism infrastructure from Maramures by localities; and identifies the perception and “vision” of tourists and owners of tourist structures about Maramures tourist village as an innovative solution with benefits for tourists and locals. The information collected by using the method of qualitative case study served to sketch a possible projection such as “smart tourist village” taking into account the possible costs, return on investment, possible design and advantages.

1. Introduction

Sustainable development and the support of the rural environment, of the village itself, through different possibilities, is an actual topic [1,2] in current context. Many of the actual problems of rural areas could be solved through a coordinated development, so a smart development [3] is a necessity in relation to the times we live in. Correlated with the current situations (economic crises, health crisis, job cuts, migration) the transition to the concept of smart development is a challenge [4] necessary to adjust the balance between the costs immediately arising and the benefits gained over time.

A smart entrepreneurial variant of contemporary village’s development could be tourism village. First of all, what is smart tourist village? (see Figure 1).

Tourist villages are “well-established rural settlements, preserving ethno folkloric values and traditions and with a rich historical past, which, outside from their own political-administrative, social, economic and cultural functions, fulfill, seasonally or throughout the year also the hosting and catering function for tourists who are spending an a stay of indefinite leisure stay or visiting these villages in itinerant tourism programs, with or without meals” being of several types depending on the predominant resources [5,6]. A smart village is that location that allows the inhabitants to assemble the resources, to use the technology and the infrastructure so as to ensure sustainability [7], but also the profitability of the activities carried out [8]. These locations can be new settlements as well as renovated villages and represent an example of a development model that combines some basic principles: high quality of life, conservation of natural resources, promotion of holistic approach of life, which involves the ecology of human housing, attracting all members of the settlement to the adoption of joint decisions, the use of sustainable technologies. In the same time this type of villages could be an example of rural entrepreneurship and implicitly tourism entrepreneurship which can be an answer to some problems of rural area, in the same time a source of innovation, solution and why not change of the rural environment, and a way to stimulate the increase of productivity and its economic competitiveness [9], so the possibility of the local community to ensure the smart development [10,11].

Secondly why “smart tourist village”? Which are its determinant aspects and reasons? (see Figure 1) Rural area has many ”assets/resources” possibly to be capitalized through rural tourist activities. But the same rural area has many problems. First, in rural areas there are fewer opportunities to find jobs compared to urban areas. Second, government programs targeting the rural environment often suffer from an inconsistent approach to encouraging small businesses. Third, in rural areas the level of human capital development is lower compared to urban areas. Fourth, the expertise that exists at the level of local administrations is not enough to capitalize on the existing potential. Fifth, most of the time, the existing infrastructure in rural areas is in a precarious situation and prevent business development and reducing transaction costs. In this context, in the future a good coordination of the different levels and actors/entrepreneurs is necessary; in a word rural entrepreneurship [12,13,14] to solve this problems, if it is possible in a sustainable way. Through a smart rural entrepreneurship actual rural village could be transformed into a “smart tourist village”, being able to capitalize a series of elements, which in fact, are the “assets” of rural areas and at the same time making the “must have” more and more demanded by the tourists.

Why must we speak about smart village in tourism? Because in our days tourists want to know the rural traditions, culture, and nature, and they want to spend their vacation in an intact rural environment, with local products and specialties, looking for fresh air, sports, and quiet [15]. Thus, rural entrepreneurs, which bets on the introduction in the tourist product of: existing natural resources; agricultural farms themselves; various tourist attractions defined as “curiosities”; the specific rural way of life that includes: traditions and customs; traditional crafts; rural architecture; local gastronomy [16] has only to gain. Therefore, to the question why “smart tourist village”? one can come up with the answer that it can support the development of sustainable tourism, and through which it can ensure integrated rural development, in this way “smart tourist village” coming with a certain degree of innovation [17] on the part of stimulus of local development [18,19,20]:

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The improvement of the general infrastructure on which depends the revitalization of the entire rural economy (roads, water network, sewerage, telecommunications, electricity);

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Arranging farms, guest houses, model tourist households, as endowment and organization of the activity, but respecting the local architecture and traditions, avoiding kitsch;

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Identification, inventory and capitalization of tourist and neighboring resources; development and modernization of those introduced in the tourist circuit with special emphasis on entertainment, animation, leisure and sports;

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Drawing up a record of the main events from the village life (cultural, religious, traditions, fairs, etc.,), commemorations, artisans and local rhapsodists, in order to present authentic and valuable tourist programs (customized to the area).

Third why Maramures? A large part of the Romanian rural environment is an authentic one, Maramures area [21,22] being such an area, with resources of the specific rural way of life known at international level. The reason for choosing this area as a place of research, beyond its uniqueness is because it is made from: beautiful landscapes, people keeping their ancestral traditions and the civilization of the wood and folk costumes, aspect which can be transferred “economically and sustainable” into a tourism product. The particular resources of this area transform it into an “authentic one” [23] and the possibility to be ”kept original in the future” is in our opinion by transforming it into a “smart ecovillage”.

The aim of the paper. The aim of this research is to approach “the smart tourist village”, as an entrepreneurial sustainable possibility to capitalize rural resources from Maramures rural area. In order to pursue this purpose, first of all a theoretical approach of the concept “smart tourist village” was undertaken, with its features, values, actors, and effects, explaining why the development of rural communities in this form can be an innovative solution with benefits and stimulus both for tourists and locals. The second part of this research, the practical one, presents the Maramures area, with its specific resources and identifies the perception and “vision” of tourists and owners of tourist facilities from here, in order to sketching a possible projection such as “smart tourist village”—taking into account the possible costs, return on investment, possible design and advantages, and entrepreneurial proposals needed to increase the revenue generated by this projection.

The findings are presented in the paper, in different parts of its structure: introduction part, literature review part, methodology part, results of the research, discussions and recommendation, and conclusions.

2. Literature Review

The place of rural tourism manifestation is rural area, but also the “provider” of resources which can be exploited through this type of activities. Starting from this aspect, rural area, defined in a general way has some features (see Figure 2) [24]:

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Economically, the rural environment is characterized through the predominance of agricultural activities and the processing industry, the rural area having as essential function the agricultural production.

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Sociologically, the rural society is characterized through a specific way of life, behavior and a system of values distinct from the urban one.

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Geographically, rural area is differentiated by the arrangement way of living, grouped or dispersed.

To “survive” in a cost-effective way [25,26] and to be a sustainable one this rural community, represented by various actors, groups, associations, and institutions, must be able to mobilize itself for long-term joint actions and take responsibility for this continuous process of development (see Figure 2) [27,28]. It is obvious that the rural area has many problems, but at the same time many resources/assets, [29] which could represent “its raw material/strong values”, (see

Table 1. Rural area’s analysis-strong values and limitations.

Analysis Level	Strong Values	Limitations
Social level	✓ close human relationships ✓ favored socialization and solidarity ✓ low population density ✓ perpetuation of traditions and way of life by transmission to next generation ✓ high security and human solidarity	✓ lack of jobs ✓ lack of state-of-the-art educational and medical services ✓ youth migration and aging ✓ conservatism of locals and not opening to the new
Economic level	✓ land as main resource for agriculture ✓ products and services of a high quality value ✓ large number of small farms that favor the obtaining of unique authentic products	✓ lack of technology to support profitable agriculture ✓ abandonment of agricultural and processing activities due to low profitability ✓ low profitability and difficulties in selling the production at profitable prices ✓ lack of properly qualified jobs and staff
Potential for future tourism activities
	✓ special natural resources ✓ multiple anthropogenic resources ✓ the possibility of capitalizing on these resources through tourist activities ✓ the possibility of sustaining the rural area in the long run if tourism activities are carried out responsibly	✓ poor infrastructure ✓ the occurrence of pollution on various levels that can destroy the uniqueness of some resources and thus endanger long-term development ✓ non-correlation of all actors and decisive factors in supporting future development actions

Source: own analysis and interpretation of the authors [27,28,29].

) to support a future sustainable development.

The concept of “smart village” appeared in the Europe Strategy 2020 [30], and referred to the need for rural areas to base their future development on their own resources and strengths, and the ability to consolidate original, traditional, unique resources with modern technologies [31], this ability to combine the old with the new bringing benefits both to locals and rural entrepreneurs [32]. What is “smart village” and how does it differ from ordinary villages? [33] “Smart village” is the concept that defines rural community which is able to come up with innovative solutions embedded in its own development strategy that emphasizes the use of strengths and [34] local opportunities [32], in close connection with new technologies [35], so as to support the use of knowledge, advantages, and innovative solutions to ensure resilience and increase living standards for locals and entrepreneurs.

Addressing the future of some rural localities [36] from a tourism perspective, must be taken into consideration are the minimum conditions a locality requires to become a tourist village, compliance of these conditions being in fact the premise of ensuring the long-term sustainability [37] of rural tourism activity, but also of the rural environment, implicitly of the village itself:

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To be located in a natural place with accessibility, a scenic landscape, no sources of pollution and with the possibility of capitalizing through a variety of holiday activities: rest, sun, fresh air, swimming, water sports, various cultural activities, as well as integration into traditional economic activities;

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The development of the tourist activity must be supported by the development of the general infrastructure (water supply, electricity, heating, sewerage, communication routes);

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The presence of ethno folkloric traditions and values (architecture, crafts and handicrafts, folklore and folk costumes, ethnographic museum, folkloric traditions and customs) representative for the area in which it is located is a necessity and an asset in the same time;

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A high level of quality in terms of equipping households to comply with existing classification rules will generate the improvement of the living conditions.

Transposing all the aspects mentioned above at the level of “smart tourist village” concept we can say that the village, included in the tourist circuit, can be—at the same time—a component of several types of tourist products. It can be a destination of holidays in the country; night stop for a circuit to monasteries; the workshop of learning some popular crafts or achieving new performances (ceramics, pottery, carving, wood, braiding twigs, various fibers); the scene of initiation into the art of folk dance or song. Smart ecological tourist village [31,34] owns—and can offer—various tourist products that use simultaneously, or alternatively, the same material base and the same tourist attractions (folklore, landscapes, beach, mountains, spa resources, historical monuments, parks). Transforming rural villages into localities in which rural tourism will develop [38] will become spaces where all the elements of local sustainable development will be assembled [23,39] (see

Table 2. Smart tourist village-actors and factors.

Actors and Factors	Smart Development-Relevant Aspects
Aspects pursued/possible to obtain through the concept of “smart tourist village”	- support for agricultural activities, in terms of the possibilities of marketing the products obtained - support for capitalizing the unique rural resources and drawing attention to their protection and perpetuation - the possibility to make the rural environment attractive for the young population and to repopulate it - creating jobs that will reduce rural-urban migration
Key factors of evolution	- extended territorial capital - high local potential, supported by numerous resources, in fact in rural areas is found the majority of resources - large human capital, but in many cases without the desire to get involved in future development - natural/biological/unique products, sought by the consumers
Actors with a significant role in supporting the concept of “smart tourist village”	- local authorities - local private entities-entrepreneurs - locals
Interconnected domains in support of the concept of “smart tourist village”	- agriculture and agricultural and gastronomic products - natural resources, anthropic resources, tourism - environment protection - local services and infrastructure

Source: processing after [22,31,34,40,41,42].

).

“Smart tourist village” comes with the possibility of supporting the recovery of the rural economy, using for this purpose local resources and a series of distinct stages (see Figure 3). It is a sustainable initiative through the fact that the involvement of the whole community is necessary and the development of tourist activity will bring benefits for the whole community and a higher attention for resources protection [31].

The impact of rural tourism (see

Table 3. Positive and negative effects of tourist activity on rural area.

The Impact	Positive	Negative
Economic	- the sale of goods and services made in the peasant household - infrastructure development - obtaining additional income - increasing the employment rate in the area	- changes in the locals way of life - high costs for ensuring and maintaining leisure activities (for example golf courses, horse riding, picnics)
Environmental	- a growing awareness of the environment and its elements - greater financial support for environmental protection	- destruction or abandonment of agricultural crops - disturbances in the flora and fauna of the area - the occurrence of pollution (in all its forms)
Social	- changes in the mentality of the inhabitants - rural-urban interaction with rural modernization as a standard of living	- the appearance of a stress for the farmers due to the agglomeration of the respective area - changes in lifestyle
Other	- the existence of educational programs - recognizing the importance of rural areas	- the gradual urbanization of rural areas, so the loss of the authentic - the possibility of losing control over the tourist phenomenon in the villages

Source: processing after [49,50].

) on local communities [43], as an entrepreneurial sustainable possibility in global context is sustained through its extensive dimension, which refers to the characteristics of the locality, such as: its role as a tourist destination, the nature of the tourist activity, the ratio of resident/tourists, types of tourists, seasonality, etc. In the tourist regions, the local communities go through a sequence of reactions, as a result of tourism development in the area, changing their perceptions according to the experience. Seasonality makes its mark on community’s reactions through the accentuated flows of tourists during peak periods, being also the reason why the holidays of the locals are often established taking into account the seasonality. The intrinsic dimension refers to the characteristics of the members of the host community that affect the variations of tourism impact on the respective community: degree of involvement, economic and social characteristics, proximity to home, period of stay, etc. The relationship between guests and locals is seen as a balance between costs and benefits. The degree of involvement of individuals and the tourism industry is important for ensuring a balance, because it influences the extent to which the benefits are perceived as greater than the costs.

The fact that rural tourism can stimulate the development of local communities is an issue on which experts in the field have agreed, but its impact (positive or negative) on rural communities differs from village to village [44,45,46,47,48]. Therefore, even if rural tourism is not able to solve all the disadvantages of the rural environment, it is an opportunity for the rural community (see Table 3) to ensure the increasing future income and productivity [48].

The concept of smart villages provides an answer regarding the possibilities of implementing sustainable development concept, but it also involves some implementation barriers such as: low openness of the rural community to change, low capacity for innovation and low level of social capital, low capacity local markets, spatial distance, poorly developed transport and communications network.

3. Data and Methodology

As it is stated above, the aim of the paper is to approach “smart tourist village” in terms of attribute identification and cost calculation to establish a future possible design. The research starts from identifying the concept of smart village, continues with describing the Maramures area, then with the perception and “vision” of tourists and owners of tourist structures about Maramures village and identifying the extent to which it can be an innovative solution with benefits for tourists and locals. The theoretical and practical approach undertaken aims to outline a possible projection such as “smart tourist village”—taking into account the possible costs, return on investment, possible design and advantages.

3.1. Research Methods and Steps Used

As a research method was used the method of qualitative case study [51,52], based on the desire to conduct a qualitative investigation, which can allow a greater extension in research, description, and interpretation. The case study method is appropriate to the purpose proposed by the authors of the paper for exploratory and explanatory research, starting from the current context of life in the analyzed rural environment, and reaching the identification of answers to certain questions [53,54]. In this type of research, the emphasis is on the case studied, not necessarily on the methodology used [55].

Several steps have been taken in the design of the qualitative research, in a combined way:

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Theoretical/desk research (in this stage the general and theoretic information from specific literature from tourist and entrepreneurship specific to the rural world field are collected);

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Obtaining the specific information from the field (at this stage the semi-structured interviews are applied and are obtained specific information). In this stage, a short interview was applied to the tourists who arrived in the seven villages, subject to our study, from the Maramures area, which finally totaled 280 valid interviews. The application of this approach was made through existing tourist accommodation structures from the analyzed villages. The application of the study, to collect information from the territory through questionnaires, was carried out over two weeks, this period including the Winter Holidays, meaning the period with one of the best frequencies of the year, the interval in which this activity was possible taking into consideration the COVID-19 regulations. With the desire to have an overview of the particularities of Maramures tourist village, a short interview of the owners of tourist structures conducted to identify their perception of the product “life in Maramures village” and whether “smart tourist village” could be an innovative solution with multiple benefits. A total of 68 valid interviews were obtained from the total number of 121 tourist units displayed by the statistical centralization carried out by the National Institute of Statistics, for the year 2021, meaning a percentage of 56.19%.

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Interpretation of the results obtained from field research (at this stage the analysis of the main information from the applied interviews is made, being prepared the final form of information to be published in the paper).

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Calculating the costs, taking into consideration the prices from the market, for a future projection such a “smart tourist village”, and proposing a possible design of it.

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Formulating the proposal/conclusions resulting from the study.

The information collected was processed and analyzed using a computer, and statistical calculations were performed (using EXCELL, Paint, hi-square test (Chi-Square Goodness of fit test), R), and then findings were presented using tables and figures for interpretation.

3.2. Research Objectives

The main objective pursued during the paper starts from the premise that a variant of contemporary village’s development is the tourist village, which can be a future idea of innovative sustainable rural entrepreneurship. Thus, the structure of the paper has the following parts:

The theoretical approach of this study involves: smart tourist villages-reasons and determinant aspects, reviewing the rural area’s strong values and problems, identifying important actors, factors and determining aspects and steps for creating the “smart tourist village”;

Identifying the particularities of Maramures villages and their specific resources and quantitative identification of rural tourism infrastructure in Maramures, by localities;

Identifying the perception and “vision” of tourists and owners of tourist structures about the tourist village of Maramures as an innovative solution with benefits for tourists and locals, here being included:

✓

Maramures tourist village-pluses and minuses-identifying the perception of tourists.

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Maramures tourist village-between the tourist’s expectations and reality.

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Maramures tourist village-identifying the perception of the owners of rural tourist units.

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“Smart tourist village” study-vision and desire for participatory cooperation at the level of rural tourist units owners.

✓

Sketching a possible projection like “smart tourist village”:

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Identifying cost elements specific to the projection.

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Possible income depending on different employment degrees.

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Profitability of a future idea of sustainable rural entrepreneurship through a “smart tourist village”.

✓

Smart Tourist Village-possible design, entities involved.

4. Results of the Research

4.1. Villages from Maramures and Their Specific Resources—Presentation of the Specific Aspects

Maramures has several points for generating its development in terms of tourism, which have influenced the emergence of rural development tourism axes [21,22,23]. Taking into account all the natural, historical, architectural, and ethnographic-folkloric elements that make up the tourist potential, the following areas are distinguished: Maramures Country area, mountain tourist area, Baia Mare area and its surroundings, and Chioar-Lapus area (see Figure 4) [56]. The most frequented routes for ethnographic and folkloric values are: Mare and Iza valleys, Sighetu Marmatiei and Sapanta, and no less important Tara Oasului. In the following are presented the locations of our research, and at the same time the Maramures main areas and tourist objectives, together with the anthropic resources present in each village. Why is this area taken into consideration? Because it has the potential, to sustain a future “smart tourism village”. Each of these villages is unique in their way and is capable to attract tourist.

Breb village [56,58,59] is located on the northern slope of Gutai Mountain, immediately at its foot, in the upper part of the Mara basin. Breb is perhaps one of the most authentic villages from Maramures, rich in traditions and living customs of hundreds of years, with a well-preserved traditional architecture. Breb illustrates the traditional village of Maramures, with unpaved streets, local food prepared from natural ingredients, wooden houses and gates, old churches, traditions, crafts, fresh air, and friendly people. The tourists are attracted by the streets of the village and the traditional houses, the simplicity and beauty, by the traditional wooden gates, and by the possibility of learning old crafts (spindle sewing, tapestry sewing), all these being the heritage that Breb village passes on to future generations.

In Valea Izei, tourist area is located in Ieud village [56,60], another village with households that are arranged on the same line, perpendicular to the axis of the road. A monument of wooden architecture is the “wooden cathedral of Maramures”, the Greek Catholic Church from Ses, built in 1718. Representative is the collection of icons on glass and the Maramures carpets, specific furniture. Ieud also preserves a series of monuments of peasant architecture: houses and outbuildings, technical installations operated by water (mills), from the 17th–18th centuries. Today, tourist can still see the popular costumes, specific to the place, during the holidays, and among the new houses, here and there are also the old houses, already turned into monuments. Ieud is proud of the oldest wooden church from Maramures, built in 1364, called “Biserica din deal”, as well as the oldest handwritten rule written in Romanian, in Cyrillic letters, known as “Codices from Ieud”.

The center of Botiza commune [56,61] is dominated by the wooden church. The popular tradition mentions an old monastery, at the beginning of the 14th century, called Botiza. Wool processing is an important part in women’s life in Botiza. The craft of dyeing wool with vegetable dyes, extracted from flowers and plants, abandoned over the years, has experienced revitalization in the commune, due to individual initiatives, which, in addition to moral satisfaction creates a considerable source of income.

Barsana [56,62] has authenticity through the beauty and variety of the landscape, the architecture of the peasant constructions, through its picturesqueness and originality. In Barsana there is one of the most beautiful monasteries from Maramures. Here is found the house of a folk craftsman, Toader Barsan, who is considered one of the most famous folk wood craftsmen from the country. From the entrance into the village, along the road, but also on the side streets, on the right and on the left, new gates have been erected at almost every house, oak constructions, sculpted in the spirit of tradition. The gates, true arches of triumph, are the pride of the people from the village. In the center of the commune, in the courtyard of the central general school, an old Greek-Catholic confessional school was restored and preserved, the only building of this kind preserved in Maramures, which today houses the village museum which includes a rich collection of ethnographic objects and a series of documents related to the history of the village. The village, on holidays, becomes attractive through the presence of people dressed in traditional costume, grouped in the civic center by age groups, neighborhoods and nations, in front of the gates where they sit for advice.

On Mara Valley, tourist area is located in Desesti village [56,63], an agro-pastoral village dominated by gardens and orchards with fruit trees. The village still preserves a good part of the traditional wooden architecture: houses, monumental gates, hay sheds and wooden church, as a quintessence of the peasant creative genius. Contemporary constructions (mostly brick on massive concrete foundations) take on certain traditional elements in the exterior architecture (wooden porches with pillars and arches carved in the spirit of local tradition). The interior often has a room arranged with traditional furniture and decorated with appropriate textiles (carpets, towels). Many of the wooden gates, made after the war, are the creations of the craftsman Pop Taina. In the village it can still be seen mills with vertical wheel, peasant technical installations, powered by water.

Berbesti village [56,64] belongs to Giulesti commune. The old wooden houses are fewer in last years, but the new constructions have taken over elements of the old wooden architecture. Until recently, very old houses from the 17th and 18th centuries have been preserved in the village. The houses are made of oak wood on the classic model, still preserved. The gates have also been preserved. At the bottom of the village, there is the oldest border crossroads, known as the “Redniceni Cross”, dated in the second half of the 18th century. On holidays, people go for a walk through the center of the village, in a real parade of the traditional dress.

Sapanta village [56,65] is located on the south bank of the Tisza near the Taras Valley. In Sapanta, several monumental houses from the 15th century have been preserved; one of them is Stan’s house, restored in the Maramures Village Museum. What made Sapanta famous is “Happy Cemetery”, creation of Stan Ioan Patras. His own way of making these crosses, made the Sapanta Cemetery a real myth. Stan Ioan Patras’s art consists in the fact that he managed to synthesize the life of the missing person in a plastic image sculpted, often adding a few verses that reflect the concerns of the missing person. The naive manner of the plastic treatment and the accompanying lyrics betray a robust optimism and a certain joy that determined some researchers to call the cemetery from Sapanta “Happy Cemetery”. Nowhere in Maramures the wood is painted, this procedure used only in Sapanta.

4.2. Identifying the Rural Tourist Infrastructure from Maramures by Localities

Taking into consideration those seven villages studied, the existing infrastructure was identified, using the centralization made by the National Institute of Statistics, and the information is presented in

Table 4. Total tourist reception structures with accommodation functions from Maramures.

Structures for Tourist Reception from Rural Area	Localities	2015	2016	2018	2019	2020	2021
Total Maramures (villas, cottages, campsites, rural pensions, agritourism guesthouses)	TOTAL	41	45	65	53	66	121
	BARSANA	8	7	7	6	7	9
	BOTIZA	6	8	11	9	10	9
	DESESTI	5	4	6	4	8	10
	GIULESTI	1	3	4	3	5	5
	IEUD	1	1	1	1	3	4
	OCNA SUGATAG (Breb)	15	17	30	24	26	69
	SAPANTA	5	5	6	6	7	15

Source: http://statistici.insse.ro:8077/tempo-online/#/pages/tables/insse-table, consulted in 6 December 2021 [66].

and

Table 5. Types of tourist reception structures with accommodation functions by localities.

Structures for Tourist Reception from Rural Area	Localities	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Tourist villas	SAPANTA	1	1	1	1	1	-	-
Tourist chalets	BARSANA	-	-	-	1	1	1	1
	DESESTI	1	-	-	-	-	1	1
Campsites	OCNA SUGATAG (Breb)	1	1	1	-	1	-	1
	SAPANTA	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Tourist houses	BARSANA	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
	OCNA SUGATAG (Breb)	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Tourist pensions	OCNA SUGATAG (Breb)	2	2	2	-	-	-	-
Agritourism guesthouses	BARSANA	8	7	7	5	5	6	7
	BOTIZA	6	8	11	9	9	10	9
	DESESTI	4	4	6	5	4	7	9
	GIULESTI	1	3	4	3	3	5	5
	IEUD	1	1	1	1	1	3	4
	OCNA SUGATAG (Breb)	11	13	26	20	21	24	66
	SAPANTA	3	3	4	4	4	6	14

Source: http://statistici.insse.ro:8077/tempo-online/#/pages/tables/insse-table, consulted in 6 December 2021 [66].

.

The accommodation structures, such as villas, chalets, campsites, cottages, rural boarding houses, and agritourism guesthouses, have been taken into account. Analyzing the data presented in Table 4, it can be seen that in the period under analysis 2015–2021, their number has been steadily increasing, from 42 units in 2015 to 122 units in 2021, which means an increase of 188.09%. This growth was based on the growing interest from tourists in general, and foreign tourists in particular, the opening of this area for foreign tourists, through a promotion campaign supported by both traditional and modern means, but also the possibility of supporting these businesses from different financing programs (financing from European funds, start-ups, etc.).

In Table 5 it can be seen that the agritourism guesthouses are predominant and that their number is constantly increasing, the “stars” being the villages of Breb and Sapanta, in fact the most famous from Maramures both internally and externally. The rural settlements from here are real agritourism products itself, having originality and simplicity, and the sensation transmitted to the tourist is of “return to the origins”.

4.3. Identifying the Perception and “Vision” of Tourists and Owners of Tourist Structures about the Maramures Tourist Village as An Innovative Solution with Benefits for Tourists and Locals

The first step in practical research was to identify the perception of tourists and rural entrepreneurs from here and at the same time their “vision” of their village as a future ”tourist village”. For this purpose, were applied 280 short interviews to the tourists who arrived in the seven villages subject to study, from the Maramures area. In this research, only valid interviews were taken into consideration. The application of the study, to collect information from the territory through questionnaires, was done during two weeks, this period including the Winter Holidays, meaning the period with one of the best frequencies of the year. The debate on the results highlights important issues.

Analyzing the centralized information of the respondents, presented in

Table 6. Representative data reflecting information about respondents.

Villages Studied	Measure Unit	Respondent’s Type (a)		Statistical Centralization (b)		Level of Education (c)		Income Level (d)
		Men	Women	No. Valid Questionnaires	% from Total No.	Medium Level	Higher Level	Medium Level (under 4000 lei/month)	Higher Level (over 4000 lei/month)
BARSANA	No.	16	21	37	13.21	12	25	14	23
	%	43.24	56.75			32.43	67.56	37.83	62.16
BOTIZA	No.	19	29	48	17.14	21	27	17	31
	%	39.58	60.41			43.75	56.25	35.41	64.58
DESESTI	No.	15	8	23	8.21	9	14	6	17
	%	65.21	34.78			39.13	60.86	26.08	73.91
GIULESTI	No.	11	7	18	6.43	6	12	5	13
	%	61.11	38.88			33.33	66.66	27.77	72.22
IEUD	No.	6	5	11	3.93	7	4	3	8
	%	54.54	45.45			63.63	36.36	27.27	72.72
BREB	No.	43	32	75	26.78	26	49	19	56
	%	57.33	42.66			34.66	65.33	25.33	74.66
SAPANTA	No.	37	31	68	24.29	23	45	19	49
	%	54.41	45.58			33.82	66.17	27.94	72.05

, a close connection between the number of existing units and the number of valid questionnaires obtained can be seen, following the statistical centralization (b).

Thus, on the first places are Breb villages with a percentage of 26.78% from the total, Sapanta with a percentage of 24.29% and Botiza with a percentage of 17.14% from the valid questionnaires applied, being perhaps the most famous villages from Maramures, and those with the most numerous tourist units. Regarding the types of respondents, the female predominates as gender, in almost all the analyzed villages. In terms of tourists’ education level (c), respondents with higher education predominate, reinforcing the conclusion that rural environment is starting to be popular among higher, stressful professions. Another explanation can be supported by the growing trend toward organic products, the rural tourism product from the Maramures villages analyzed being part of this trend, but also the pandemic situation generated by COVID-19. In this second case, rural tourism can be at the same time a possibility to spend a holiday in the countryside, in healthy fresh air, in conditions of distance and yet to carry out the tourist activity. The income level (d) is another aspect highlighted in terms of the interview applied. Moreover through this indicator, it appears that tourists arriving in these rural villages are looking for originality, natural products, as ecological as possible, and have adequate financial resources to purchase these types of tourist products.

In order to identify the perception of tourists about Maramures tourist village, in the questionnaire applied were included three aspects: original elements of Maramures villages present in tourist product (a); “life in Maramures village” experience (b); mention of what is missing from the Maramures village (c), and the results are presented in

Table 7. Maramures tourist village pluses and minuses—identifying tourists’ perception.

Villages Studied	Measure Unit	The Original Elements of Maramures Villages Present in Tourist Product and Appreciated by Respondents (a)			Appreciation of the “Life in Maramureș Village” Experience (b)			What is Missing from the Maramures Village (c)
		Local/Traditional Food Products	Specific Natural Resources	Life in Rural Community	Good/Very Good	So and So	It Can Be Better
BARSANA	No.	16	14	7	28	7	2	- the opportunity to see and participate concretely in the rural activity - maybe a tourist circuit with a focus on “strong” resources, the existence of a village on sustainable principles in which tourists see the locals way of life and the opportunities to carry out the tourist activity, deficiencies in marketing, promotion, branding
	%	43.24	37.83	18.92	75.67	18.92	5.40
BOTIZA	No.	18	7	23	32	11	5
	%	37.50	14.58	47.91	66.66	22.92	10.41
DESESTI	No.	12	7	4	16	4	3
	%	52.17	30.43	17.39	69.56	17.39	13.04
GIULESTI	No.	6	3	9	9	5	4
	%	33.33	16.66	50.00	50.00	27.77	22.22
IEUD	No.	2	6	3	7	2	2
	%	18.18	54.54	27.27	63.63	18.18	18.18
BREB	No.	26	8	41	49	14	12
	%	34.66	10.66	54.66	65.33	18.66	16.00
SAPANTA	No.	22	11	35	50	13	5
	%	32.35	16.17	51.47	73.52	19.11	62.50

.

Regarding the first aspect analyzed, the original elements of Maramures villages present in tourist product and appreciated by respondents (a), it can be observed, making a quick hierarchy, that in the opinion of the respondents: life in rural community is placed on first place in Breb, Sapanta, Botiza, and Giulesti villages, meaning exactly those villages where tourism entrepreneurs have managed to incorporate tourist products, the specific elements of rural life, these being also the villages where the rustic, ancestral way of life is still preserved; local/traditional/food products, it is the element highly appreciated by tourists who arrived in all seven villages analyzed, but in first place is placed in Barsana and Desesti, due to traditional dishes that follow authentic recipes probably passed down from generation to generation, from the oldest times; specific natural resources are found in all the villages analyzed, but the Ieud village stands out in this respect, perhaps also due to its special position.

The second aspect analyzed in this direction, the identification of the appreciation level of the “life in Maramures village” experience (b) sets three gradual levels of appreciation: good/very good, so and so, can be better. The majority of those surveyed consider the experience in the Maramures villages as being a very good one, 68.21% from the total answers. A percentage of 20% considers the experience so and so, and 11.78% considers that can be better.

The third aspect pursued refers to what is missing from the Maramures village (c), the answers converging toward: the opportunity to see and participate concretely in rural activity, maybe a tourist circuit with a focus on “strong” resources, the existence of a village on sustainable principles in which tourists see the locals way of life and the opportunities to carry out tourist activity, deficiencies in marketing, promotion, branding.

Because the tourist is the one who consumes the tourist product, he is also able to present the vision of a future Maramures tourist village as a possible innovative solution to improve the life of the inhabitants, starting from the identification of expectations and reality in the eyes of tourists (see

Table 8. Maramures tourist village—between tourist expectations and reality.

Specific Element of Tourist Product	Measure Unit	Maramures Tourist Village-Tourist Expectations and Reality (a)						The Tourist’s Vision Regarding the Elements that must be Contained by the Future Tourist Village as a Possible Innovative Solution to Improve the Lives of the Inhabitants (b)
		Expectations			Reality
		High Quality	Originality	Good Quality-Price Ratio	High Quality	Originality	Good Quality-Price Ratio
Accommodation	No.	113	70	97	142	83	55	- accommodation in typical rural units, farms/guesthouses - food from fresh products, with local specific, with the involvement of the tourist in the preparation - carrying out activities/crafts with local specifics
	%	40.35	25.00	34.64	50.71	29.64	19.64
Food	No.	123	56	101	151	68	61
	%	43.92	20.00	36.07	53.92	24.28	21.78
Recreation	No.	88	85	107	91	87	102
	%	31.43	30.35	38.21	32.50	31.07	36.42

).

Thus, the first aspect highlighted referred to the tourist’s expectations regarding the Maramures village and the reality discovered on the spot (a). Thus, three aspects were pre-established in the question: quality, originality, and quality-price ratio, with the possibility of a single possible answer for each aspect, both in the category of expectations and in the category of reality for each element of the tourist product. For this answer the reporting was done at total answers, not on each village separately. Thus, taking the first element of the tourist product, accommodation, from the total number of valid answers, the expectations of 40.35% of the respondents converted to high quality, 36.64% to the good quality price ratio, and 25% to originality. For this element, tourists found that the reality exceeded the expectations. 50.71% appreciated the high quality and 29.64% originality when they came in contact with reality. It turned out that the price for the accommodation element was higher in reality, but the quality and originality received determined them not to be dissatisfied with the quality-price ratio. For the food element, in the expectations section, the tourists put on the first place in proportion of 43.92% the high quality, on the second place the good quality-price ratio in proportion of 36.07%, and on the third the originality. Moreover, in the case of this element, the reality exceeded expectations, so 53.92% of tourists were delighted with the quality of food, 24.28% with the originality of the food received. In the case of this element, too, the quality-price ratio showed a higher price than expected, but the quality and originality of the products received somewhat removed this inconvenient. In the case of the leisure element, tourists put the quality-price ratio on the first place, in the proportion of 38.21%, on the second place the originality in the proportion of 30.35%, and on the third place the quality in the proportion of 31.43%. The reality in this case, in which tourists were attentive to quality-price ratio, conversed with expectations.

The second part of this direction is the tourist’s vision regarding the elements that must be contained by the future tourist village as a possible innovative solution to improve the lives of the inhabitants (b); it did not have answer options, this being left to the tourist latitude. Centralizing the obtained variants, it turned out that the tourist wants a real, authentic tourist product, and through these elements of uniqueness desired by the tourist to be included in the tourist product, tourist village could be a possible rural entrepreneurship innovative solution to improve the lives of the inhabitants, and why not to ensure a future sustainable development of the villages and rural inhabitants.

With the desire to have an overview of tourist village of Maramures issue, short interviews were conducted with the owners of tourist structures to identify their perception of the product “life in Maramures village” and whether “smart tourist village” could be an innovative solution with multiple benefits, see

Table 9. Maramureş tourist village—identifying the perception of the owners of rural tourist units.

Villages Studied	Measure Unit	Unique Elements Embedded in the Tourism Product Presented to Tourists (a)		Placement of the Product “Life in Maramures Village” Compared to Other Tourist Products from the Country (b)			“Smart Tourist Village”—An Innovative Solution with Multiple Benefits (c)
		Yes	No	1–2	3–4	5	Yes	No
BARSANA	No.	6	1	1	4	2	7	-
BOTIZA	No.	10	-	2	5	3	9	1
DESESTI	No.	8	1	2	4	3	7	2
GIULESTI	No.	4	1	2	2	1	4	1
IEUD	No.	3	1	1	2	1	3	1
BREB	No.	19	-	3	9	7	17	2
SAPANTA	No.	14	-	3	8	3	12	2
Total	No.	64	4	14	34	20	59	9
	%	94.11	5.88	20.58	50.00	29.41	88.05	13.43

. A total of 68 valid interviews were obtained from the total number of 115 tourist units registered by the statistical centralization carried out by the National Institute of Statistics, for 2021, meaning a percentage of 56.19%.

The first aspect to be presented in this direction referred to “unique elements embedded in the tourism product presented to tourists” (a) (see Table 9). The answer here was in the first phase directed, either positively or negatively. In case of a positive answer, the owners of rural tourist structures had the opportunity to point out the strong elements with which each tourist village, taken in study, stands out and at the same time individualizes compared to the others (see

Table 10. Unique elements incorporated by tourist product-individualization on villages.

Villages Studied	Unique Elements Incorporated in the Tourist Product Presented to Tourists-Individualization on Villages
BARSANA	- beauty and variety of the landscape, - the village museum
BOTIZA	- popular traditions, - wool processing crafts, carpet weaving
DESESTI	- exterior architecture-carved wooden gates, - peasant water-powered technical installations (mills)
GIULESTI	- elements of old wooden architecture-old oak houses
IEUD	- housing system of households, - popular dresses
BREB	- local food, - image of the traditional village
SAPANTA	- gastronomic products, - own way of making tomb crosses

). Thus, for Birsana village the owners of tourist structures considered that the strengths of the village are: the beauty and variety of the landscape, the village museum. The owners of rural tourist structures from Botiza rightly consider that their village has as unique elements necessary to be preserved in the future and to be embedded in the tourist product such as: folk traditions, crafts—especially wool processing, or carpet weaving. In the case of Desesti village, the exterior architecture is highlighted—in particular the carved wooden gates, and the water-powered peasant old mills still functional. Old wooden architecture elements such as old oak houses are the distinctive element of Giulesti village. In Ieud, the location system of the households and the popular dress worn by the locals during the holidays are the particular elements that add value to the tourist product. Breb village is the image of Maramures traditional tourist village, being one of the most famous villages from here, the local gastronomy being at a high price, but also the traditions and the specific image of the peasant household. Sapanta is one of the most famous villages from Maramures, both nationally and internationally, the distinctive elements being: its own way of making tomb crosses and gastronomic products.

Regarding of the placement of the product “life in Maramures village” compared to other tourist products from the country (b) the respondents had the opportunity to place their product in three categories, through awarding grades. 20.58% from the total respondents placed their unit in the first category, the one with grades 1–2, 50.00% in the second category with grades 3–4, and 29.41% in the higher category giving the maximum grade. Correlating the opinion of the owners of Maramures tourist units with the opinion of the tourists (expectations and reality-Table 8), it is concluded that it is close to the reality found by tourists. From the point of view of how the owners of tourist structures from here see a future smart tourist village (c) 88.05% consider it an innovative solution with benefits for all categories involved in this activity, this vision coinciding with the one of tourists’, they identify the key issues that the village should focus on to enjoy marketability (see Table 10).

Establishing that “smart tourist village” could be an innovative solution with multiple benefits, or in other words a future idea of sustainable rural entrepreneurship (see

Table 11. “Smart tourist village” study—vision and desire for participatory cooperation at the level of owners of rural tourist units.

Villages Studied	Measure Unit	The Concept of “Smart Tourist Village” in the Perception of the Owners of Rural Tourist Units (a)			Desire for Participatory Cooperation in a Possible Partnership “Maramures-Smart Tourist Village” (b)		Obstacles to the Creation of a Future “Smart Tourist Village” (c)
		Effectively Combines the Traditional Style with the Modern One	Able to Bring Benefits for Rural Communities	It Can Take Advantage of Local Opportunities	Yes	No
BARSANA	No.	2	3	2	7	-	- ignorance of the actions and steps needed to be taken in creating such a concept; - high costs; - the need to involve more entities, so more difficult collaboration; - difficulty in attracting the economic environment; - difficult awareness, implementation and coordination of such an idea.
BOTIZA	No.	1	5	4	10	-
DESESTI	No.	3	3	3	8	1
GIULESTI	No.	1	2	2	4	1
IEUD	No.	1	2	1	3	1
BREB	No.	4	8	7	19	-
SAPANTA	No.	4	7	3	14	-
Total	No.	16	30	22	65	3
	%	23.53	44.11	32.35	95.58	4.41

) the next step is to identify what is the vision and desire for participatory cooperation at the level of rural tourist units’ owners (see Table 11). Thus, the first aspect considered was the extent in which the concept of “smart tourist village” is fixed in the perception of rural tourist units owners (a). The question was conceived with three answers, the owners of rural tourism structures highlighting the issues related to economic benefits and the possibility of capitalizing local benefits, as follows:

-

44.11% from rural tourist units’ owners surveyed considered that the notion of “smart tourist village” is able to bring benefits to rural communities;

-

32.35% from rural tourist units’ owners considered that the notion of “smart tourist village” can ensure the capitalization of local opportunities;

-

23.53% from rural tourist units’ owners surveyed considered that the notion of “smart tourist village” effectively combines the traditional style with modern life.

The desire for participatory cooperation in a possible partnership “Maramures-smart tourist village” (b) was another aspect pursued. 95.58% of owners surveyed from the studied area are willing to get involved in a future project from this category.

Regarding the main obstacles, in creating a future “smart tourist village” (c), the answer to this question was a free one. By centralizing the answers were identified several lines to be considered in the future:

-

Ignorance of the actions and steps needed to be taken in creating such a concept;

-

high costs;

-

The need to involve more entities, so more difficult collaboration;

-

Difficulty in attracting the economic environment;

-

Difficulty in awareness, implementation, and coordination of such an idea.

4.4. Sketching a Possible “Smart Tourist Village” Projection-Possible Costs, Return on Investment, Possible Design and Advantages

Based on the information obtained, and correlating the desire of the owners of rural tourism structures to participate in a possible projection such as “smart tourist village” with the impediments reported by them in creating/implementing such a project it was made a sketch of a possible projection, the purpose being to identify the specific elements of cost projection, and then to identify possible revenues depending on occupancy degrees, profitability (see

Table 12. Identification of the specific elements of cost projection.

Objectives Proposed in the Projection	The Main Measures Needed to Be Implemented	No. Unities	Cost/Unit (euro)	Total Cost (euro)
Objectives related to other space	Own car parking, (m2)	40	70	2100
	Landscaping and green spaces (areas)	45	50	2250
Objectives related to the specific areas of administration	Arrangement of reception and reception hall, (m2)	25	325	8125
	Creation and arrangement of a warehouse used for the storage of various materials, (m2)	2	1400	2800
Specific arrangement objectives and accommodation facilities	Four rural tourism houses and two farms, to a classification category of 2 flowers (daisies)	400 m2	1400	560,000
	Beds with mattresses, number	16	400	6400
	Bed linen, sets	32	45	1440
	Furniture, sets	16	400	6400
	TV, units	16	200	3200
	Shower set, sets	16	450	7200
	Toilets, sets	16	85	1360
	Sinks, sets	16	45	720
	Accessories, sets	16	35	560
Specific arrangement and endowment of the kitchen	Electric and wood stove units	6	300	1800
	Refrigerator, units	6	500	3000
	Dishes and kitchen utensils			1300
Various promotional actions	Purchase a banner to promote the projected village	1	240	240
	Purchase of a classification platelet	1	250	250
	Making some leaflets presenting the village	500	0.30	150
TOTAL				609,295

Source: Calculations based on market prices.

).

Regarding the specifications, the proposed projection starts from a number of four rural tourism houses and two farms, respectively 16 rooms in total. The calculations were made for a structure classified in the category of 2 flowers (daisies).

The calculations were made in euros, at an exchange rate of 2022/January = 4.9447 lei. The beneficial elements of the proposed projection can be multiple, our analysis being limited to highlighting those that appeared at the economic level, more specifically to highlight the possible revenues to be obtained depending on different degrees of employment. The first calculation variant starts from an occupancy degree of 65%, meaning an optimistic assumption, the calculations illustrating:

The existence of a number of 6 units/16 rooms in total

Was take into account as price/room of 18 Euro

The first scenario assumes a 65% occupancy degree, so we will have rentals:

365 × 16 = 5840 (100% occupancy degree)

(5840 × 65)/100 = 3796

Once the number of rentals is known, it can be determined the gross income/year

3796 × 18 EURO = 68,328 Euro/year.

The second calculation studied a lower occupancy degree, respectively 35%. In this case the data illustrate:

The existence of a number of 6 units/16 rooms in total

Was take into account as price/room of 18 Euro

This scenario assumes 35% occupancy degree, so we will have rentals as a number:

365 × 16 = 5840 (100% occupancy degree)

(5840 × 35)/100 = 2044

Once the number of rentals is known, it can be determined the gross income/year

2044 × 18 EURO = 36,792 Euro/year.

For the first more optimistic variant, with 65% occupancy degree, the possible incomes obtained by the projected structure from the accommodation activity reach the value of 68,328 Euro/year, respectively 5694 Euro/month. However, neither the pessimistic version, the one with 35% occupancy degree, cannot be removed, the possible income to be obtained from the accommodation activity being 36,792 Euro/year, respectively 3066 Euro/month.

Even if during the sub-item presented above there are important incomes possible to be obtained from the rural tourist activity, through the projection of a tourist village, at different occupation degrees is not enough. Therefore, the time needed to recover the initial investment, in other words the profitability, highlight the following aspects:

In the case of the first scenario, the optimistic one, with 65% occupancy degree, the recovery of the initial investment will be possible in about seven and a half years, obviously here considering only the accommodation part, not the food and leisure part, and obviously not taxes. If are added the possible revenues to be obtained from the other elements of the tourist product, but also the staff costs, current expenses, taxes, the data of the problem changes a little;

D_{65% occupancy degree} = the value of the investment/the volume of annual revenues = 609,295/68,328 = 8.9 years

In the case of the second scenario, the pessimistic one, it is possible to recover the initial investment, taking into account only the accommodation element, in a period of almost eight years, but even in the case of this example the data regarding the profitability of rural tourism are encouraging;

D_{35% occupancy degree} = the value of the investment/the volume of annual revenues = 609,295/36,792 = 16.5 years

5. Discussion and Recommendation

In the contemporary period, the attention paid to the rural environment is well-founded, being necessary a rethinking of the way of its development. Strictly focusing on the development of the rural environment through agricultural activities is no longer relevant [67], and negative aspects such as reduced access to services, depopulation or lack of jobs, and their strict agricultural orientation can be combated through a multi-level development, adapted to the crucial changes and requirements of today’s times.

In this context, where resources allow this obviously, the interest in supporting entrepreneurship in rural areas, especially tourism entrepreneurship, starts from the need to support future initiatives/investments that lead to long-term growth of local revenues, and implicitly to support economic profitability. A development of the village in the form of “smart village” is desirable in the future because this form of sustainable development [68,69,70] is a holistic one, connecting different areas. The innovation regarding the concept of “smart village” derives precisely from its ability to connect different fields, different actors, and different technologies why not, in order to bring that favorable change to the rural environment as a whole, as it is reflected in (see Figure 5) the projection, made at exemplary level of a future “smart tourist village”. Smart tourist village projects are based on a participatory approach, an innovative one [71], to develop and implement local strategy or to improve economic, social and environmental conditions for rural area [72] in a sustainable manner [73].

The consequences of such a “smart tourist village” project could be [73,74,75]:

The possibility to offer the villagers the benefits of a high and modern lifestyle, while preserving the values, traditions, and customs of rural communities and in the same time understanding the benefits of a sustainable and healthy lifestyle,

Closing specific gaps of rural areas,

Capitalizing local opportunities and eliminating or reducing poverty, or other specific problems especially the one particular to agricultural activities (marketing products directly at profitable prices), specific threats to the rural environment in a word.

Through the simplistic calculations above we highlighted the possible costs but also revenues in the case of designing a tourist village as a future model of rural entrepreneurship. It turned out that the recovery of the initial investment will be possible in about 8.9 years, obviously here taking into account only the accommodation part, in the case of the occupancy degree of 65%. In a period of seventeen and a half years, investments can be recovered in the case of the pessimistic variant, but even in the case of this example the data are encouraging regarding the profitability of rural tourism activity.

But even if the European Union actively promotes the idea of such villages, in order to discuss the possibility of implementing such a project it is necessary a strong local cooperation with local economic entities, administrations and Local Action Groups, which together use innovative solutions, plans and strategies to improve the lives of residents, building on local strengths, resources, and opportunities [73].

The limitations of this research could it be considered: the possibility to obtaining a significant number of completed questionnaires, because the territory was a quite large one and the fact that it does not differentiate national and international tourists. First two shortcomings were eliminated

6. Conclusions

One of the current trends is the focus on the rural world, from various points of view. Rural entrepreneurship is the one that mobilizes resources to cover an unsatisfied market demand, has the ability to create or build something out of nothing, the process through which value is created from obtaining a unique package of resources to use an opportunity. There are many examples of successful rural entrepreneurship, from tourism, providing conditions for sports and recreation or training to small business activities. One of these examples is the “smart tourist village”, having a high capacity to adapt to the economy and rural world needs.

The practical approach undertaken started from the identification of the perception and “vision” of tourists and owners of tourist structures about the tourist village of Maramures. In order to identify the tourist’s perception, three aspects were followed:

-

Highlighting the original elements of Maramures villages presented in tourist product by tourists (a), from this point of view of life in rural community/at farm/at the country is the strong element appreciated by tourists from Breb, Sapanta, Botiza and Giulesti villages. For local/traditional/food products the Barsana and Desesti villages stand out. For specific natural resources the first place is held by the Ieud village;

-

The second aspect considered, the one referring to the identification of appreciation level of the “life in Maramures village” experience (b) places the experience in Maramures villages subject to analysis in the category of a memorable ones, 68.21% from the total answers confirming this aspect;

-

Because tourists are able to appreciate both the positive and the negative elements, the third aspect pursued, what is missing from the Maramures village (c) comes with the current aspects, possibly to be considered as future development proposals, standing out the desire of tourists to come to an ecological village created on sustainable principles in which to be possible to see the specific way of rural life and to participate concretely to rural activities.

Another direction followed and researched was related to the tourist’s expectations regarding the Maramures village and the reality discovered on the spot (a). The analysis was performed on the three components of the tourist product: for the accommodation part the reality exceeded expectations, 50.71% of those interviewed appreciating the high quality and 29.64% the originality. For the food part the reality exceeded expectations, 53.92% of tourists being delighted with the quality of the food, 24.28% with the originality of the food received. In the case of the leisure element the reality conversed with the expectations. Regarding the tourist’s vision for the elements that must be contained by the future tourist village (b), from the elements mentioned by tourists it can be concluded that originality, naturalness, unique local elements are desired, these being the advantage of Maramures village and future business card.

Regarding the identification of the perception of the owners of rural tourist units regarding the “unique elements embedded in the tourist product presented to tourists” (a) 94.11% consider that these unique elements are: beauty and variety of landscape, folk traditions, crafts, elements of old architecture wood, the image of the traditional village, gastronomic products, etc. The owners of tourist units rate the product “life in Maramures village” (b), in proportion of 50.74%, with ratings of 3–4, and 29.85% give maximum rating. 88.05% of the owners of rural tourist units consider smart tourist village (c) an innovative solution for the future support of the Romanian village.

Because the owners of rural tourism structures are the ones who implement in practice the concept of “smart tourist village” (a), it was required to identify their vision and desire for participatory cooperation. The discovered reality is a gratifying one, 44.11% of the owners of rural tourist structures from the researched area see in the concept of “smart tourist village” one capable of bringing benefits to rural communities. 95.58% from the owners of rural tourist units are eager for participatory cooperation in a possible partnership “Maramures-smart tourist village” (b), but are also identified some impediments in creating a future “smart tourist village” (c).

Rural areas from Europe are different have different resources, different development patterns, thus a future smart development must be reconsidered and based on the place specific patterns. “Smart tourist village” concept can be a solution adapted to the contemporary world to capitalize rural area in a sustainable way, ensuring economic viability, capitalization of agricultural products, so the support of agriculture, the emergence and consolidation of local innovation systems, care for increasing the quality of life and at the same time care for the protection of resources.

“Smart tourist village concept” has not a universal character and of course the implementation of such a concept can be different from a region to another. If we take into account the peri-urban areas then the possibility of implementing this concept has higher chances of success, largely due to a better infrastructure, existing technologies, why not a better management. But even the more remote areas are not at a disadvantage, they have either agricultural or tourist resources, an aspect that allows them to focus on the direction of a smart specialization, or on the agricultural direction, tourist or bioeconomic direction.

The study carried out uses the information obtained by sketching a possible projection such as “smart tourist village”, taking into account the possible costs and profitability of the investment recovery. Starting from the market prices, a value of 609,295 Euros was reached, the projection assuming four rural tourism houses and two farms, respectively 16 rooms in total. At 65% occupancy degree, income of 68,328 Euro/year can be obtained, and the recovery of the initial investment can be recovered, based only on the accommodation activity, in almost nine years. At a lower occupancy degree, 35%, the possible income to be obtained from the accommodation activity being 36,792 Euro/year, allowing the recovery of the investment in sixteen and a half years. So, this projection shows how higher can be the costs of a possible “smart tourist village” in the studied area, which entities must be involved in the structure of this kind of project and as a proposal for the future may be realized a platform to ensure the exchange of information between the categories involved.

Even if “smart tourist village” can be an innovative solution to improve the lives of the inhabitants, the achievement of such a project involves several entities, several stages and steps, public-private partnership and many possible difficulties. What is certain is that a “smart tourist village” project must seek cooperation and partnerships with other neighboring communes/cities and thus can be integrated at regional level and the initiation and implementation of future development strategies can be based on existing initiatives and can be funded by a variety of public and private sources.