Abstract
Spa tourism is one of the oldest forms of tourism which continuously evolved in time as the leisure industry paradigm and the consumers' behavior changed. Similar to other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, spa tourism is an old phenomenon in Romania which expanded to the dimensions of a well defined tourism indus try during the mass tourism period which also corresponded to the communism epoch. Although severely affected by the major political and socio-economic changes which occurred after the Revolution in 1989, this industry coexists with new emergent forms of tourism orienting, itself towards new dimensions embraced by the contemporary leisure consumerism (e.g. medi cal tourism, cosmetic treatments). Lying on considerable balneal and climate resources and displaying an important communist heritage both in physical terms (large and massive tourism structures) and in virtual and psychological terms (social supportive ticket granting system), Romanian spa tourism faces various challenges in the attempt to adapt in a new tourism era.
Highlights
Spa tourism is one of the oldest types of tourism, developed since antiquity age, which evolved continuously and developed complex and various forms throughout different historical periods under the influence of political and economic systems, on the one hand, and of changes in the social options and tourists’ interests regarding this type of tourism, on the other
This study aims to define the main characteristics of the Romanian spa tourism, traditionally an important part of the national tourism market, due to the important resources discovered and valued since antiquity and developed to the dimensions of a real tourism industry during communism period, which tries to adapt to new market realities
Romanian spa tourism industry – communist heritages in the post communist era to other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, spa tourism represents an old phenomenon in Romania which expanded to the dimensions of a well defined tourism industry during the mass tourism period, which corresponded to the communism epoch
Summary
Spa tourism is one of the oldest types of tourism, developed since antiquity age, which evolved continuously and developed complex and various forms throughout different historical periods under the influence of political and economic systems, on the one hand, and of changes in the social options and tourists’ interests regarding this type of tourism, on the other. Their high share within the total number resorts of national interest demonstrates the importance of balneal resources in the development of tourism offer in Romania as in the whole Europe as well “in Europe, mineral springs have long been the focus of health tourism” (Hudson, 2003).
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