TOURISM – AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ECONOMIC INVIGORATION OF RURAL AREAS IN ROMANIA?

The Romanian rural area is a space that, in the context of the transition from centralized economy to market economy, has accumulated multiple dysfunctions, whose resolution requires the identification of viable solutions, matching local potential and at the same time preserving traditional specificity. In terms of cultural, historical, natural and economic values, the Romanian village has proved to be a highly original tourism product. The article analyzes the evolution of Romanian rural tourism, highlighting the stages of its development, and paying special attention to the current stage that witnesses the solid consolidation of the extant niche of rural tourism as part of Romanian tourism. This consolidation led to several rural tourism destinations in Romania standing out on the international market (Bran-Moeciu, Maramure , the Danube Delta, the Banat, Bucovina).