Can Rural Tourism Foster Local Development? Perspectives on the Future of Rural Tourism in Romania
Can Rural Tourism Foster Local Development? Perspectives on the Future of Rural Tourism in Romania

Summary/Abstract: Rural space cannot be considered any longer as being destined only for agriculture, since it has been increasingly used for the construction of second homes or for the entertainment of people living in the crowded urban areas, picturesque villages having a special appeal to tourists. Consequently, there has been extensive research on the various issues involved by rural tourism. The present paper has two main goals; firstly, it aims at examining the role of tourism for the development of rural areas in Romania, taking into consideration six tourism development factors, as indicated by international literature, namely attractions, promotion, tourism infrastructure, services, hospitality and entrepreneurship. Secondly, it identifies the most important factors needed for successful tourism development, amongst which particular attention in the Romanian context must be paid to strategic planning, proper marketing, a complete tourism package and technical assistance for tourism development and promotion in order to capitalize the local, traditional heritage, while still preserving the local natural resources. It is concluded that although there are a lot of opportunities for the development of small scale tourism, with mostly family run businesses, in many cases Romanian rural communities have limited economic development options and possibilities.

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