Romanian spa tourism: a communist paradigm in a post communist era

Author: , , and
Key words: , , ,
Issue: Volume 5, Issue 2, 2011
Full text .pdf | doi: 10.5719/hgeo.2011.52.41

Author Affiliations

George Erdeli(a), Ana Irina Dincă(a)*, Aurel Gheorghilaş(a), Camelia Surugiu(b)
(a) Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
(b) Romanian National Institute for Research and Development in Tourism
*Corresponding author. Email: dincaanairina@gmail.ro

ABSTRACT

Spa tourism is one of the oldest forms of tourism which continuously evolved in time as the leisure industry paradigm and the consumers’ behavior changed. Similar to other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, spa tourism is an old phenomenon in Romania which expanded to the dimensions of a well defined tourism industry during the mass tourism period which also corresponded to the communism epoch. Although severely affected by the major political and socio-economic changes which occurred after the Revolution in 1989, this industry coexists with new emergent forms of tourism orienting, itself towards new dimensions embraced by the contemporary leisure consumerism (e.g. medical tourism, cosmetic treatments). Lying on considerable balneal and climate resources and displaying an important communist heritage both in physical terms (large and massive tourism structures) and in virtual and psychological terms (social supportive ticket granting system), Romanian spa tourism faces various challenges in the attempt to adapt in a new tourism era.

References

Détente Consultants, 2009, Action Plan for the Romanian Master Plan for the Development of Spa Tourism, 2nd phase, www.detente.fr
Détente Consultants, 2009, Romanian Master Plan for the Development of Spa Tourism, 2nd phase, November 2009. www.detente.fr
Détente Consultants, 2010, Calypso Study on Social Tourism – Romania, country study, www.detente.fr
Dincă, AI 2008, Turism medical – concept şi aplicabilitate în România, Comunicări de Geografie, Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest, Tom XI, p. 385-390.
Erdeli, G & Gheorghilaş, A 2006, Amenajări turistice, Edit. Universitară, Bucureşti.
Erdeli, G & Istrate, I 1996, Amenajări turistice, Ed. Universităţii, Bucureşti.
European Spa Industry, 2010, viewed January 2011, www.visitspas.eu/european-spa-industry
Hudson, S (ed) 2003, Sport and Adventure Tourism, The Haworth Hospitality Press, New York.
INCDT, 2006, The strategy for Spa Tourism – Romania, The Ministry of Tourism.

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About journal

Title: Human Geographies - Journal of Studies and Research in Human Geography
ISSN online: 2067-2284
ISSN print: 1843-6587
Imprint: University of Bucharest
Frequency: Biannual (May&November)
First volume: 1/2007
Current volume: 18/2024
Language: English
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EDITORS


Prof. dr. Liliana Dumitrache
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography- Human and Economic Geography Department, 1 Nicolae Balcescu Av., 010041, Bucharest, Romania

Dr. Daniela Dumbrăveanu
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography- Human and Economic Geography Department, 1 Nicolae Balcescu Av., 010041, Bucharest, Romania

Dr. Mariana Nae
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography- Human and Economic Geography Department, 1 Nicolae Balcescu Av., 010041, Bucharest, Romania

Dr. Gabriel Simion
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography- Human and Economic Geography Department, 1 Nicolae Balcescu Av., 010041, Bucharest, Romania

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