A Geographical Perspective on the Impact of Covid-19 on Tourism Demand in Romania

Abstract

Although the tourism sector has witnessed a gradual recovery during the last years from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is still too soon to discuss about a full recovery, as territories have responded and adapted in diverse manners to the shock. As such, it is important to investigate the impact of the pandemic in different moments and at different geographical scales, in order to identify and understand the contrasts between territories of same countries. In light of these facts, the purpose of the current paper is to assess the evolution and the spatial patterns of tourism demand in Romania under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for the period of time 2020-2023. The focus is on identifying the differences between regions and destinations in terms of initial impact of the pandemic and of their path to recovery to pre-pandemic levels of tourist arrivals.