Sustainable Tourism Development in the Protected Areas of Maramureș, Romania: Destinations with High Authenticity

Abstract

Sustainable development involves economic growth in line with the requirements of ecological balance and human development, involving people’s relations with the environment as well as the responsibility of the current generation over future generations. Sustainable tourism was designed and supported in an attempt to manage all resources, so that the economic, social, and aesthetic needs of an area are satisfied while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity, and life support systems. Sustainable tourism is not “a fashion”; it is a way of thinking and acting with long-term implications. At national level, we believe that Maramureş County, Romania, is one of the most gifted natural and socio-economic geographic areas in the Oriental Carpathians of Romania, in which the conditions of sustainable tourism can be met and supported long term. The purpose of this scientific paper is to identify, synthesize, process, and interpret data about the tourist qualification of some localities in the protected areas of Maramureş, so as to inform local decision-makers and tourists about tourism forms currently practiced (and) possibly practicable in the future, because since tourism, as an economic branch, leads to the growth of jobs, it can contribute to the sustainable development of the area. The mathematical model proposed in the paper allows the grouping of available resources from 25 settlements in order to establish the types of tourism that can be supported and developed in these localities.

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“…By 2030, Romania is supposed to become a high-quality and well-known tourist destination available year-round, that provides services at international standards and capitalizes on the uniqueness of its cultural and natural heritage [ 72 ]. In the long run, Romania aims to diversify and specialize its tourist offerings, and improve the quality of tourist services through the following: infrastructure investments; rehabilitation of degraded tourist areas; adequate promotion at national and international level, especially of rural, ecological and cultural tourism; preservation of traditional activities; preservation of traditional gastronomy and culture; and training and qualification of personnel [ 72 ]. However, there is no mention of developing green skills for tourism employees and entrepreneurs to ensure sustainability.…”

Public recreation and landscape protection - with environment hand in hand…

“…The responsibility for the management of the PLA is attributed to central, regional or local government, NGO's, private sector or to local communities. Preserving the values of ecosystems in ecotourism destinations implies the need to constantly monitor the evolution of ecotourism and the associated impact in such destinations (Mateoc-Sîrb, N.;Albu, S. , et al, 2022). Managers and PLA planners play a key role in order to ensure that tourism does not possess any risks to biodiversity.…”

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“…Second, environmental impacts caused by tourism establishments are often difficult to distinguish from other factors, so one effect may cause another [ 18 , 20 ]. Sustainable tourism development is an ongoing process, and not a specific condition can be achieved; It requires continued research on the destination’s ecological, social-cultural, and economic systems [ 37 , 38 ]. Therefore, sustainable tourism is not about ensuring the financial viability of tourism businesses and not just “greening” the tourism industry.…”