Social insurance system influence on spa tourism: evidence for Romania

Romanian spa resorts combine natural cure resources with beautiful landscapes and cultural and historical heritage. After the fall of the communist regime in 1989, most of the hospitality infrastructure remained the same, without any significant investment in upgrading the accommodation structures or treatment facilities. The purpose of this paper is to identify the variables that predict the domestic tourism demand for spa resorts in Romania derived from the literature. The results suggest that the trigger factor to boost the domestic demand remains the tourism offer. Nevertheless, the development of spa tourism in Romania is still possible if some efforts are made, in order to reduce its dependency on the social insurance system.