The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Tourism in Romania in 2020 with Special Regard on Marginal Rural Areas

Abstract

AbstractThe chapter assesses the manner in which the COVID-19 pandemic affected the Romanian economy in general, focusing on its impact on marginal areas, and especially rural areas. The economy of Romania’s rural areas (comprising almost half of the Romanian population) is based on subsistence agriculture, while tourism had become a profitable activity in the years before the pandemic, especially in mountain areas and in regions such as Transylvania, Maramureș and Bukovina. However, during the pandemic, tourism and hospitality were among the sectors that took the biggest blow. The number of tourist arrivals in Romania dropped by more than 50% in 2020 compared to 2019. The main destinations of those few who travelled (mainly domestic tourists) were the traditional tourist areas of Romania: the Black Sea coastal resorts and the spa resorts of the Carpathians. The rural areas were left out and were hardest hit by the pandemic. Many hotels, guesthouses and restaurants closed, some temporarily, some indefinitely. The worst situation was recorded in those traditional rural areas which often based their income on international travellers. Therefore, the pandemic increased the marginalisation of rural areas in Romania and led to further economic and social imbalances within Romanian society.KeywordsCOVID-19 pandemicRomaniaTourism and hospitalityMarginal areasRural areas