Impact of globalization and climate change on tourist destinations. A case study in Romania

Abstract

Globalization may increase development opportunities for tourist profiled destinations but is also a source of economic vulnerabilities if they lack adaptive capacity to context changes. One of those is the climate, a global issue that may negatively impact these localities, which can face the path of simple survival or, worse, decline, as natural resources often play a key role in recreational and tourism-related activities. Romania has many localities with tourist traditions now facing direct competition from other tourist destinations or companies from abroad in an EU-free people movement context, struggling for both tourists and the skilled labour force. This paper aims to identify some of the comparative advantages and adaptive capacities on the local level that may contribute to sustainable development, despite adverse climate changes reality, based on a study case, Predeal, a tourist destination that profiles itself mainly, as a winter sports resort even that climate reality is no longer that favourable.

Keywords

• climate change
• economic vulnerability
• globalization
• adaptability
• local development strategy