CHANGES IN TOURIST BEHAVIOR IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The tourism industry has been seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, both from a social and from an economic perspective. Despite showing signs of resilience, the negative repercussions on tourism-related activities have been serious, the hospitality industry proving to be the most sensitive in the face of the sanitary and economic crises which started more than a year ago. Even though the full (and cumulative) impact of the events which shaped the current global situation cannot be quantified without a high degree of uncertainty, the negative effects are visible in the economies of many countries, around the world, at microeconomic, macroeconomic, and behavioural levels (for businesses and individuals). Usually, such economic, social, sanitary crises or other extreme circumstances (terrorism, natural disasters) trigger a change in the behaviour of tourists, the differences being dependent on region, country, etc. Thus, given the current economic and social context, the current paper focuses on the behavioural change of the Romanian tourists. The practical purpose of this research is to show the agents working in the tourism industry on which aspects to focus more and how to diversify their offer based on the change in demand specific to the "new normal". The most recent research conducted by experts have shown that the pandemic has negative effects on travel intention for multiple reasons, among them being the selectivity in choosing the destination based on criteria such as the increased need for hygiene and healthcare conditions, for travel insurance, etc.