Preamble
Innovation and creativity forms the strongest vector of community development and of anthropic and natural resources capitalization. The diversity among communities and resources in Romania represents a major potential for development.

Creative industries and cultural tourism have become a strategic capital for developing local economy. Urbanization combined with cultural activities facilitate the emergence of a new social category: the creatives (researchers, artists, engineers, designers, writers, and professional creatives).

Capitalisation and promotion under the new given conditions dealing with identities, experiences, and local products have always been the endeavor of the Amphiteatre Foundation. Five years ago we were coining the concept of responsible tourism in Romania; the type of tourism that is based on preserving resources, identities and local culture. 

Cosy Romania
Our approach has evolved from a rather theoretical one to a more pragmatic one. That is how we came up with Cosy Romania – a new concept for communities’ sustainable development. The principles of responsible tourism still stand, they are at the core of our approach and are part of Cosy Romania’s DNA.

Cosy Romania is a platform which links events (International Forum for Responsible Tourism, National Salon for Touristic Photography, conferences and colloquiums), publishing platforms (http://merg.in), touristic products (Walk & Shoot), scientific journals (International Journal for Responsible Tourism), vocational training.

Everything for a cosy, welcoming and open Romania.

Cosy Romania is a working and communication platform with the purpose of establishing and implementing a strategy for the growth of a responsible tourism with direct effects towards the local community.

The short-term objective is to gather those involved actors who have an impact on the communities they live in, local and central authorities.

Cosy Romania Week
Cosy Romania Week is a series of events, conferences, and exhibitions which celebrate Romania’s attractions and identities, from crafts to festivals, from gastronomy to urban regeneration and personal growth.

Cosy Romania Week enjoys international coverage, having been retrieved on two of the most communication platform in the European Union: Tourism 4 Development 2017 and Cluster Collaboration. Thus we have managed to place a Romanian project in the circuit of the World Tourism Organization.

This year, Cosy Romania Week took place between 25^th September and 1^st October. Five major events took place in this period.

International Forum for Responsible Tourism
The central event of Cosy Romania Week brought 29 speakers who approached extremely diverse themes – from personal growth to technology, from civic involvement to entrepreneurship, from urban regeneration to creative industries. The central point was, like for every other edition, the idea of good practice of development based on local identity.

The speakers for the 5^th edition were: Iris Constantin (NCR Unesco), Lorena Diaconescu (Mens Sana Association), Denissa Voicu (Civic Initiative Group Timpuri Noi), Teodora-Alexandra Desagă (Civic Initiative Group Bragadiru), Oana Preda (Ce-Re), Mariana Arnăutu (Fundația World Vision), Eniko Matyus (Clusterul Regional Balneoturisitc Transylvania), Dinu Drog (Incotroceni – People, Ideas, Stories), Iulian Canov (La Firul Ierbii/ Wolfhouse Productions), Adriana Tran (Europass Association), Cătălina Tira (Better Youth Association), Cosmin Dragomir (Gastroart), Nico Lontras (Chef), Cristian Tudor (Microgreens), Nicu Dumitru (University of Bucharest), Alan Clark (Clarks Cider), Alexander Ott (Fourwood laundry), Gabriel Morin (Zece la Rece), Claudiu Petria (Questo App), Oana Petre (Bucharest City App/ Eventur Group), Doru Răduță (Urban Adventures), Nicoleta Chiriță (Enel), Bogdan Papuc (Eco Romania Association), Gabriela Tîrlie (Dizainăr), Cecilia Enache (Viadora Group/ Experience Romania), Georgiana Cremene (Vicepresident of D’Avent Association/ Violoncelului Hub), Mihai Sibianu (People of Romania/ Kraft Made).

In the following weeks we will publish some of the most interesting presentations in order to make good practices of responsible tourism in Romania more accessible to a larger audience.

National Salon of Touristic Photography
Launched in 2006, it is the longest-living photography contest in Romania. For the 21^st edition, we tried to document widely-known places from the point of view of the writers who at some point have been in Romania.

From over 300 photos, the winning one belongs to Cristian-Alexandru Cătană. The jury was formed by Alex Axon – photographer and Chief Creative Officer Zitec. The exhibition was hosted by the National Museum of the Romanian Literature. All the winning photos and further details can be accessed on http://snft.ro.

“Danube Identities and experiences” Conference
The conference took place in Giurgiu, in partnership with Eastern Danube Convention & Visitors Bureau Giurgiu Association. The objective of the conference was to encourage the local business environment and young entrepreneurs from this area to define and present innovative concepts and approaches for a new business.

Participants: Mihai Ogrinji (România Pitorească/ AJTR), Ion Borșan (Walk & Shoot), Mircea Crisbășanu (Cycling Romania Association), Raluca Vereș (Experience Romania), Gabriela Enescu (RedRouteDigital), George Brezoi (Entrepreneurship and Programmes for Small and Medium Enterprises Directorate), Vali Constantin (APIER), Oana Olteanu (Casa Comana), Mihai Deneș (The True Velofriends Association), Silviu Bratu (The Romanian Association for the Transfer of Technology and Information), Gloria Rusu (Călugărenilor Inn), Gabriel Zamfir (ANTREC/ Touristic Danube Cluster), Carmen Petanca (Director of the Centre for Conservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture), Corina Folescu (EDCVB/ Amphiteatre Foundation).

“Memory of the place” Colloquium
The event was organized in partnership with Picturesque Romania and the Romanian Association of Tourism Journalists and Writers and hosted by the National Museum of the Romanian Literature. Participants: Mihai Ogrinji, Simona Lazăr, Nicolae Lupu, Mircea Coloșenco, Vasile Arhire, Matei Brod.

The main theme was that of the conference involves the changes in traveling literature. Books, publications, field journals, magazines, blogs, Facebook and Instagram accounts have ensured a lively memory. Without it the travel industry – which owes its existence to economy and culture – would have been forgotten long time ago.

Traditional Sports and Games
The final event of Cosy Romania Week was dedicated to rediscovering traditional sports. BNR Arenas hosted over 100 students who came to play oina. Oina coaches Ionica Nedelcu and Danut Enache coordinated the training sessions and arbitrated some of the games.

Students who participated in the event study at schools from Bucharest’s 5^th District, which are also involved in the project “Education through traditional games and sports”, conducted by the Romanian Association of Traditional Games and Sports.

Cosy Romania Week is an Amphiteatre Foundation project. Our partners for this edition were: The National Bank of Romania, The Cultural Centre “Stefan Iordache”, the National Museum of the Romanian Literature, “Eastern Danube Convention & Visitors Bureau Giurgiu” Association, the Romanian Association of Traditional Games and Sports, Origo Coffee, Vale Putna, Clarks Cider, and Microgreens Romania.

Media partner: Merg.In