PRESENT AND FUTURE PROSPECTS OF ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN ROMANIA

Ecotourism is defined through its objectives of nature conservation and local people support. Ecotourism has become a tourist market segment with high growth potential worldwide, due to its environmental, responsible, sustainable and righteous qualities. In Romania, the ecotourism programs have a relatively recent history. Currently, despite the fact that our country has a particular heritage ecotourism, with high potential for development, ecotourism is still a narrow segment of the tourism market. Some isolated ecotourism products will have to be promoted by park administrations or specialized tour operators, so that some ecotourism destinations will develop, offering an integrated ecotourism product, resulting from the stakeholders’ partnerships.