PM Ciuca: Operationalization of DMOs, assumed through PNRR, must be reached by September end

The operationalization of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) represents a benchmark assumed by Romania through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), which must be reached until the end of September, which is also the deadline for defining the solid model of governance that Romania will adopt for the development of tourism, said, on Monday, Prime Minsiter Nicolae Ciuca, in an online message sent to the participants of an event organized, in Brasov, by the Alliance for Tourism, Agerpres reports.

According to the head of the Cabinet, until December 31, 2023, Romania has as a target the establishment of eight such DMOs which, in two years time, should generate in the counties where they will be active, a 20% increase in the number of tourists compared to the year 2019, which represents another target in the PNRR.

At the same time, Ciuca mentioned that the establishment and operationalization of DMOs will be based on the OECD recommendations included in the study "Operationalization of destination management organizations."

According to him, presently, at the level of the Ministry for Antrepreneurship and Tourism (MAT), there is already a group working on completing the amendments that establish clear attributions to DMOs, in order to ensure a coherent normative framework and to support tourism in Romania.

"I recall at our last discussion you raised the issue of the personnel crisis in the industry. I've already taken a first step for the short-term resolving of the human resources crisis in HORECA. A contingent of 100,000 foreign workers was approved last week and we are to receive information from MAE [the Foreign Affairs Ministry] with regards to the development of the consulates network, in order to ensure that the files will be processed at a rate the market demands. On the medium and long term, educational units and the entrepreneurial environment in tourism in Romania must resume links and develop the dual educational system competitively and attractively. It's clear that the HORECA industry is facing a prolonged crisis in personnel and that's why we are coming to you with the request to support us in the specific and detailed identification of sectorial personnel needs," the Prime Minister also told the participants at the event organized by the Alliance for Tourism.