The Drivers of Rural Accommodation Development in Romania: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Modern rural tourism is an umbrella concept, including a wide range of (niche) type tourism related to the countryside/rural areas. The central attractions of rural tourism are induced by the closeness to nature and new cultural experiences related to (local) history and intangible heritage. The interest for a rural destination being increased by an environment considered appealing from natural and aesthetic viewpoints, allowing for various forms of recreation. This preliminary study answers the following question: which are the drivers of the accommodation development in rural areas in Romania? taking into consideration only the potential tourist attractions that could be identified based on official records (e.g. historic monuments, the status of resort for a given locality, the registered vineyards, the two rankings from 2008 and 2012). The overall conclusion of the study is that the potential tourist attractions have a relatively small influence on the development of Romanian rural lodgings. Therefore, more factors should be added in order to understand the accommodation development in rural areas in Romania.