The Role of Festivals and Cultural Events in the Strategic Development of Cities. Recommendations for Urban Areas in Romania

Building a good image of a city or state so as to differentiate it and to make it unique in tourists’ minds is a vital condition nowadays, in a world of global competition. This image may be created by taking advantage of local culture and values’ promotion or by organizing festivals and special events. There are various festivals and events held every year somewhere in the world that add image and competitive advantages to host cities. In order to illustrate this idea, the paper presents some less common festivals hosted by different cities that are turning themselves into real “urban agglomerations” during these events. The study analyses the impact of festivals on the strategic development of cities and the importance gained by urban areas after organizing these events. In the final part of the paper there are some recommendations for Romanian cities which might enhance their image and might become more known through the organization of such festivals and cultural events