THE ROLE OF SPECIAL EVENTS IN TOURISM

Event tourism is a particular form of tourism which, in order to attract visitors, requires the holding of special events. It is considered a subcategory of general tourism and differs from it by its characteristics, having a component of uniqueness (exclusivity), a component of fixed duration (depending on the duration of the event), a component of geographical concentration (the specific location of the event), but also a permanent and temporary economic impact (large influx of visitors). In this paper, the impact of three special events is analysed, each event in a different location, more precisely we analysed a mountain location (Băile Tușnad, Harghita County), a seaside location (Costinești, Constanta County) and an urban metropolis (Cluj-Napoca), all in Romania, in parallel we analysed an event outside the country (music festival in Belgium). The presentation and analysis of the figures from these four different locations leads us to conclusions and comparative interpretations. The study ends with the presentation of the conclusions and some suggestions in this direction of tourism, in our opinion to paint a real picture of this phenomenon, a successful tourism that requires a concentrated effort of all the actors involved, more precisely, the decision makers, entrepreneurs and tourists. The impact of special events on a local community is captured by figures that answer the two research questions: "Is there a relationship between a special event and the number of tourists?"; "Does a special event perceived as an economic accelerator also have negative aspects?"