The Tourist Demand And The Touristic Offer Of The Romanian Climatic And Spa Resorts

The exceptional balneological and climate potential of our country is proven by the existence of more than 160 localities with natural therapeutic factors (mineral and thermal springs, therapeutic lakes, salines, therapeutic muds, mofettes, the Black Sea water and the seaside bioclimate), but only some of them have been declared tourist resorts, spas or climatic resorts, according to the legislation in effect. Romania has 108 certified tourist resorts, 47 of national interest and 61 of local interest, out of which 59 spa and climatic resorts, 37 climatic resorts and 6 spas (but not all of them are certified as spas or climatic resorts yet). The accommodation units in spa resorts represent 7.3% of the total number of accommodation units in Romania, but their number has increased significantly in the latest three years. Tourists' arrivals in the Romanian spa resorts account for only 6.48% of total tourists' arrivals in Romania, meaning 787,947 tourists (most being Romanian tourists, 94.5%). The balneological tourism has increasingly become an important economic and marketing strategy for hoteliers and tourist destinations to attract tourist visitations.