Study regarding the evolution of tourist accomodation facilities - the case of Alba county, Romania

One of the most historical counties in Romania, Alba has a very rich and diverse touristic potential, that, until now is insufficiently exploited from the touristic point of view. Tourism in this part of Romania has seen a great growth in recent years, especially the rural tourism and ecotourism, a growth that is demonstrated by the increasing number and capacity of the tourist accommodations facilities in this area. Purpose – The major purpose of this article is to outline the evolution of tourist accommodation facilities indicators from Alba County, Romania. Design – The present paper presents an analysis of the tourist accommodation facilities in Alba County, Romania. The types of the accommodation facilities from the studied county are presented, as well as the evolution of their capacity during 2010-2013, number of employees and their qualifications, other facilities offered to tourists. Methodology/ Approach – In order to achieve the objectives, the survey selective research was used, offering the study recipients the opportunity to identify solutions for tourism development in the county of Alba and to improve the existing opportunities. The survey was conducted based on a questionnaire delivered by interviewers to a representative sample of respondents. The sampling frame – the survey base was determined by the research team through the analysis conducted on the existing accommodation, tourism products, tourism potential, tourism traffic and following the analysis of the secondary sources of information on tourism in Alba County. Findings – During 2010 – 2013, there was an increase of the average accommodation capacity offered by units, from an average of 18 seats to an average of 21 seats; housing units’ occupancy is higher in summer than in winter; there are relatively few accommodation units that offer additional services; less than half provide conference rooms, gyms or children playgrounds; the poor development of the general infrastructure is seen as the most important influencing factor; the main type of tourists staying in the analyzed accommodation units are mostly families on vacation, weekend vacationers or people in transit; the main form of tourism practiced by tourists is the recreation and rest tourism, followed by the weekend and the transit tourism Originality – The paper presents the results of the first research of this kind on the accommodation facilities from Alba County.