Tue | 30.10.2018
Tourism & Travel
Lucia Nora Morariu, is the Founding President and General Manager of EXIMTUR, one of the leading travel companies in Romania, with 25 years of experience and tradition.
EXIMTUR was founded in 1993 and benefits today of a national network of 23 agencies, including 7 franchises, located in 16 important cities of the country. The company’s business is organized in four main divisions: Business Travel & MICE, Leisure, Incoming and Tourism School.
1. Why did EXIMTUR become a member of the NRCC?
The associative participation is very important to us, in order to learn from the community, but also to share our experience with the community. We’ve appreciated that NRCC is an organization which would make a great partner for projects that may contribute to the development of the Romanian tourism, and not only.
In addition, some of the NRCC members are our clients for business travel services, others are our suppliers. We’ve wanted to strengthen the business relationships with them through joint participation in the projects and events developed by NRCC, as well.
2. How does EXIMTUR benefit from being part of the NRCC community?
We’ve perceived NRCC not just as an organization that brings a number of member companies together, but as a business community with valuable, professional people, concerned with the good progress of society, in general. By participating in the events and projects developed by the NRCC, we manage to communicate our services and capabilities, our business ambitions, and find partners with whom we can build harmonious business relationships with real benefits for all the parties involved.
3. What is your company’s philosophy?
EXIMTUR’s DNA is based on values like: respect for our customers, employees, partners and collaborators, compliance with national and international laws, integrity and professionalism.
4. What is the corporate client profile of EXIMTUR, what sort of companies do you serve?
We serve a diverse portfolio of clients consisting of companies operating in various industries such as: IT&C, automotive, tobacco, banking, pharmaceutical, construction materials, agriculture, retail & FMCG, cinema and film promotion, advertising and many others. Their employees regularly travel on business purposes, in Romania and/or abroad and we book flight tickets for them mainly, accommodation and other travel related services. Also we organize business events for most of our clients, such as conferences, team-buildings, incentives or annual parties.
5. Has the Romanian corporate traveler evolved over the past 10 years? How?
The Romanian corporate traveler has definitely evolved in a good way because the more one travels for business, the more experienced and efficient he/she gets by choosing the right travel options provided by the travel company, in compliance with the client’s travel policy. Digital technology has had an important impact on the evolution of travel in general, but for EXIMTUR it has mainly changed the way we serve our corporate clients and the way we connect with them, creating a 24/7 relationship.
6. What are the latest trends in the business travel industry and how do you react to them?
Business travel is facing a digital revolution due to breakthroughs in technology and high-speed internet. The latest trends are set for a generation of DIY business travellers who plan, manage and book travel online. Self-booking tools (SBT) are becoming an interesting option to implement in companies with the direct contribution and implication of a travel management company, like EXIMTUR. Perhaps, this way, employees will learn faster how to travel on an actual budget, but they will still be requiring increasingly personalised service, customised products on the basis of their profiles and past behaviour and that’s our business to deliver.
7. What are the most unusual destinations that you can offer to your corporate customers for organizing their team building?
We can organize team-buildings anywhere in the world. If unusual destinations are required we can suggest for instance Slovenia, where from spring to autumn, the teams can enjoy rafting, mountain biking in the Alps, sailing on the Adriatic sea or taking part in a treasure hunt in the capital. In the winter months, the snow lovers will delight in dog sledding, snowshoeing or ice-climbing.
Iceland is another option, being rich with geothermal areas, mountains, ice caves, waterfalls, volcanoes, glacier tours and river rafting.
Croatia, the home of the Game of Thrones’ heroes, can be also the place to host a wonderful team building where the team can go on a treasure hunt in the old city of Dubrovnik and relax by the crystal clear waters.
Cancun is the perfect destination for party people and Lisbon is preferred by those who love history, tasty food and good wines.
8. Do you have strategies for attracting foreign travelers to choose your company?
EXIMTUR has been promoting Romanian tourist destinations on foreign markets for over 15 years. We own a dedicated department of incoming, a dedicated website (romaniaforall.com) where we promote destinations and touristic products for foreign tourists. We have companies from Germany, Slovenia, Sweden, Estonia, Canada, India in our incoming clients’ portfolio and we see a significant increase in the interest for Romania from new tourism companies, from countries such as the Czech Republic and the USA.
In our endeavor to attract more and more foreign tourists, we financially support, together with interested airlines, different info trips in Romania for journalists and / or tour operators from other countries. The objective is to develop business partnerships that could generate an increased number of foreign tourists for whom EXIMTUR would provide complete touristic services. We have organized such visits for delegates from Ireland, USA, Slovenia, the Republic of Moldova and the Czech Republic.
Strengthening our incoming department, joint promotional partnerships with different airlines, promoting through our specialized website, promoting Romanian destinations and specific services offered by our company to our peers from Uniglobe Travel International network, are our main strategic directions.
Recently, Uniglobe Travel International along with EXIMTUR have organized the event "UNIGLOBE EMEA Retreat" 2018 in Bucharest. The event was a premiere for our country and was attended by more than 130 top management representatives, from travel management companies and travel agencies from over 20 countries. Delegates met to discuss and share the latest industry news on booking systems, technologies, airlines, ancillary services, etc. and to find out why Romania is an excellent destination for leisure or business travels. Various cultural, traditional and culinary tourist experiences were organized, to which delegates had access during their stay in Romania. The guests were delighted by our country and they will definitely attach it to their portfolios and will promote it more and more.
9. Where do you see EXIMTUR in the next 25 years?
I see EXIMTUR as a complex company, developed in a balanced way through its four divisions, business travel & MICE, leisure travel, incoming and school tourism, maintaining its network of own and franchised agencies in the most important cities of Romania. I also see it as having a strong distribution component through its call center and on-line services, managed by a specially created department that is currently in a developing process.
10. Given the nature of your business, could a tourism agency be environmentally-friendly? Or, better yet, how does a tourism agency help protect the environment?
At EXIMTUR, we try to carry out our activity in the spirit of the sustainable and socially responsible tourism values.
To date, we have focused on the sustainable, healthy management component that generates payment of the state fees in due time and employees’ full salaries paid according to the law stipulations , on providing equal opportunities for the professional development of all our employees, and, of course, on the safety of our customers' money. Involvement in community projects aimed at promoting healthy principles and values is on our agenda every year.
We have also implemented environment protection procedures in the company, even if the impact of a travel company's direct business on the environment is not major. We strive to promote though, as a matter of priority, those hotel units that have environmental protection certifications. More, our newly renovated agencies in Cluj-Napoca and Sibiu benefit of ecofriendly materials and items.
Starting next year, we shall be engaged together with some well-known NGOs in several projects that aim to protect the environment and the education in the spirit of sustainable tourism.
11. At what NRCC events can the members find EXIMTUR present (Cluj, Bucharest)?
We try to be present at most of the events organized by NRCC, especially at those in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca.
Website: www.eximtur.ro
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