The problem of territoriality in tourism in Romania

Abstract

The role of historical regions in the regionalisation of Romania is a matter of constant debate. Administrative reforms and the designation of NUTS regions have, in general, ignored identity-based territorial units. The expansion of domestic and international tourism from 1940 onwards, and with renewed vigour after the change of regime, has brought the issue of tourism spatial division – whether in terms of regulation, destination management or marketing – back onto the agenda. The absence of a consensus, state-agreed system of tourism regions, cultural and historical specificities have led to attempts by the tourism profession and academia to develop alternative spatial divisions.

The absence of a coherent administrative and conceptual framework, coupled with significant territorial fragmentation, presents substantial challenges to effective tourism management. Using comparative content analysis of legislative texts, strategic policy documents, this paper identifies persistent inconsistencies and fragmentation in tourism regionalisation practices. The findings highlight the necessity of integrating historical identity regions into formal administrative structures that could improve the coherence of tourism planning, governance and marketing initiatives across Romania.