The Romanian Hotel Industry Federation (FIHR) announced the launch of the project "FIHR: Focus on Innovation, Harmonization and Representation - Project for the Future of the Sector", an initiative worth almost 2.5 million lei, aimed at strengthening social dialogue and increasing the level of competence of professionals in the field, according to a press release sent to the editorial office.
The project comes in a context marked by economic transformations and the need to adapt tourism to new market realities, FIHR reports. Representatives of the federation emphasize that the main objective is to professionalize the representation of the sector and strengthen the negotiating capacity in relations with the authorities.
"This project represents an important step in the institutional consolidation of the hotel industry in Romania. We need modern working tools, a real capacity for negotiation and professional representation in social dialogue. In a competitive European environment, performance is no longer just about investments in infrastructure, but also about the organizational maturity of the sector," said Simona Constantinescu, president of FIHR.
According to her, the initiative aims to reduce the skills deficit in areas such as negotiation and advocacy, accelerate the digitalization of employer organizations and consolidate a unified voice of the industry in relation to state institutions, the document notes.
By affiliating with HOTREC, the European organization of hotels and restaurants, FIHR aims to integrate good European practices into social dialogue mechanisms in Romania, according to the press release.
Funded by the Education and Employment Program 2021-2027, the project aims to digitize the organizational activities of tourism employers, train over 40 specialists - leaders, human resources experts and communicators - in modern social dialogue and negotiation techniques, exchange experiences with European partners to take over good practices, as well as strengthen the representation of the industry in relations with public authorities, FIHR mentions.
The project will run for a period of 18 months, starting in February 2026, the date of signing the financing contract, the source notes.
The total value is 2,488,272.94 lei, of which 1,901,152.36 lei represents EU co-financing, and 587,120.58 lei comes from the national budget. The non-reimbursable financing fully covers the approved eligible amount, according to the press release.
The target group of the project is formed by FIHR member employers' organizations and specialists from the hospitality industry, who will benefit from training sessions, digital tools and access to European networks of expertise. The selection of participants will be carried out transparently, with an emphasis on diversity and regional balance, the FIHR press release states.
