ROMANIA’S ABILITY TO ATTRACT FOREIGN TOURISTS: EVOLUTION AT REGIONAL LEVEL

Abstract

This article aims to reveal the evolution of foreign tourists number in Romania from a regional point of view. We analyzed the values of the arrivals and night spent indicators, but also net occupancy rates of the accommodation capacities. There are differences among the regions of Romania from these indicators values point of view. The share of foreign tourists in total arrivals and nights spent number differ quite much from region to region in Romania. The trend is ascendant for arrivals and night spent, but compared to the EU average the share of foreign tourists in Romania is still low. Net occupancy rate is also under the EU average and in Romania there are some changes needed in tourism industry, in order to benefit from the opportunity of attracting tourists from the EU Member States, like some other Eastern and Central European countries did.