Profiling Nature-Based Tourists Visiting National and Natural Parks of Romania: Preliminary Results

Nature-based tourism creates an opportunity to capitalize on the benefits protected areas provide while contributing to sustainable development. Besides the positive effects of contact with nature, national and natural parks host numerous activities and learning opportunities that enrich visitors’ lives and raise environmental awareness. Understanding tourists’ attitudes can improve the tourism-nature balance. This study aims to outline the profile of nature-based tourists who visited any Romanian park between 2021 and 2023, and examines their motivations and satisfaction. An online questionnaire was applied, resulting in 106 valid responses, analyzed through descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Socio-demographic trends and visitor behavior were revealed, with over 50% of the respondents being men, aged 30-49, and over 90% holding college degrees. Camping, hiking, photography and learning about medicinal plants were the preferred activities. Ceahlău and Bucegi were the most visited parks, motivated mostly by getting close to nature. Satisfaction with existing infrastructure was generally moderate, but the sanitary facilities need improvement. Knowledge about visiting conditions varied among respondents, but respondents expressed interest in learning more. This paper emphasizes how tourists, service providers, local communities and park authorities can all benefit from understanding the visitor trends and enhance the long-term use of Romania’s protected areas.