Regional scale efficiency evaluation by input-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis of tourism sector

Hotels and restaurants sector represented in 2012 almost 16% from national GDP. From over 23 thou active enterprises, 25% are represented by tourism accommodation structures from which over 70% are hotels and guesthouses (rural and agro touristic). They are distributed from a geographical point of view in all eight development regions with a major concentration in Centre Region (30%). Our purpose is to evaluate using a nonparametric method (DEA – data envelopment analysis; DEA frontier free software) the effectiveness of tourism activities at regional level. The application of this frontier method permits the calculation pf efficiency scores based on a series of inputs (employees, enterprises, investments, tourism places-days) and outputs (turnover, regional GDP, tourist numbers, foreign tourist numbers, overnights). Research finding indicate that a part of regions with a higher touristic volume don’t reach technical and scale efficiency and need interventions to restructure their resources usage (labor, capital, infrastructure) or to implement real measures to increase demand and outcomes.