This paper studies the evolution of the most important emerging economies between 2002 and 2017 by estimating their capacity to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. In the existing literature there are only a few studies aiming to estimate the capacity of emerging countries to implement the sustainable development goals and demonstrate how groups are performing in the achievement of these goals. Being aware of the strengths and weaknesses of such studies, the authors identified a group of nine countries by applying as the main criterion the size of the economy, reflected by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in current prices, taking into account the level registered in 2017. From a methodological point of view, the study was conducted through three stages: data collection and processing; empirical analysis and correlation testing; and cluster analysis using Statistica software (10.0, StatSoft, Tulsa OK, USA). The results of this investigation highlighted that all of the nine examined countries have the attributes needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, based on the qualitative and quantitative analysed indicators. Furthermore, the nine countries have already developed measures and adopted national strategies to implement the 2030 Agenda, with political will being also a relevant factor in this regard. This study provides a framework for theoretical and empirical analysis that could also be used in the future, whereby both the number of countries and the timeframe taken into account could be increased in order to identify new development trends for emerging economies.

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The purpose of this paper is to identify the main groups of CEE-16 countries in terms of tourism competitiveness. Competitiveness, as part of the supply side, is addressed in view of the supply-demand correlations, and we consider the attractiveness of tourist destinations from the tourists' perspective as the link between the two sides. For the analysis are selected exactly the 16 countries participating in the 16+1 platform initiated by China in 2011, tourism being one of the components of sectoral cooperation in this framework. We demonstrate that tourism infrastructure (its upgrading and development) is one of the main determinants of tourism competitiveness, even surpassing in importance the tourism assets. In this context, the "China factor" might play a significant role for the CEE-16 in terms of spurring competitiveness, as it is not antagonistic, but complementary with other determinants of competitiveness, including the EU funds. From the perspective of attractiveness, 16+1 cooperation can boost Chinese tourists' arrivals in the region. In order to test these hypotheses, as part of the methodology, the authors calculate a specific travel and tourism competitiveness index (STTCI), starting from the main objectives of the 16+1 cooperation platform, namely prioritization, openness, environmental sustainability, transport infrastructure and specific infrastructure for tourism services. The authors correlate this STTCI with other qualitative indicators and obtain two categories of clusters among the CEE-16 countries. In Romania's case, one can remark the following paradox. The cumulative amount of investment in tourism during 2000-2017 is the largest among the CEE-16 countries, corresponding to its tourism assets and the necessity to connect them; however, Romania lags behind most of the analyzed countries in terms of qualitative indicators such as revealed comparative advantage, direct productivity and multiplier effect of GDP. Therefore, the cluster it belongs to does not reflect its real tourism assets.

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This chapter analyses the significance that tourists, on the one hand, and the business environment, on the other hand, lend to the concept of sustainable development in tourism. Starting from this point, the chapter highlights the characteristics of the sustainable development of tourism in the coastal areas of Black Sea. Sustainable development has been conceptualized by a set of four variables: economic, socio-human, ecological, and institutional-technological. The main results of the research show that both tourists and members of the business environment attach the greatest importance to the institutional-technological variable, focusing primarily on collaboration and communication between decision-makers and executives. Regarding the stakeholders, both tourists and the business community indicate local governance and central government as the main factors responsible for sustainable development. Following the research, a possible list of actions was proposed.

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Transformations due to the 4.0 industrial revolution have changed the face of the world economy, and adapting to the digital age is essential especially in terms of start-up businesses. In this context, it is necessary to coordinate efforts to stimulate entrepreneurship, particularly among young people. The article proposes an analysis on the entrepreneurial intentions among young people in Romania, focusing on the case of students from the Faculty of Business and Tourism, Bucharest University of Economic Studies. The objectives of the research were to identify general attitudes and perceptions in relation to professional and career goals, entrepreneurial motivations in general and those aimed at digital economy, in particular. In order to achieve the objectives, a quantitative survey was conducteda statistical survey, among 368 young people, aged between 18-26 years. Data was collected through an online platform, using a self-administered questionnaire, and processed in SPSS, testing three statistical hypotheses. The results show, among other things, that young people have a penchant for work that requires creativity and new ideasa particularly important factor in identifying opportunities for new business development. The practical implications of the research are directed towards understanding the attitude and perception of young people towards entrepreneurship in the digital economy and can be useful both from an academic perspective (for training future entrepreneurs) and for governments (developing support programs) or the business environment (creating disruptive innovations).