Romanian tourism in the post-communist period.

Abstract This paper examines tourism development in post-communist Romania. It first examines tourism trends between 1989 and 1997. International arrivals are faltering, due to political/economic instability since 1989, the legacy of a decaying tourism infrastructure, and poor standards of service. Post-communist economic restructuring has significantly depressed domestic tourism, with the accommodation sector also declining. This leads to a discussion on tourism restructuring, particularly the privatization of accommodation, the introduction and regulation of standards for it, and the training/education of tourism personnel. Next, future prospects are considered, specially rural, heritage and cultural tourism. The paper concludes that, despite Romania's considerable tourism potential, the immediate future prospects are not encouraging.