TOURIST ACCOMMODATION CAPACITY, TOURIST ARRIVALS, AND OVERNIGHT STAYS IN RESORTS ALONG ROMANIA’S COASTAL AREA, 2023–2024

The main purpose of this paper is to identify and analyse the operational tourist accommodation capacity, as well as tourist arrivals and overnight stays by type of accommodation establishment, in the resorts situated in the Romanian coastal area during the period 2023–2024. At the beginning of the paper, a brief introduction and the context of the study are presented, along with a theoretical framework concerning tourism, tourist demand and supply, as well as the development of sustainable tourism aimed at generating economic growth without harming the natural environment. The subsequent section sets out the research methodology, specifically the sources of information employed and the research method applied in order to conduct the analysis. In the final part of the paper, the research findings are presented, showing that in 2024, compared with 2023, the most significant reductions in accommodation capacity (expressed in bed-places per day) were recorded for tourist villas, bungalows, and hotels, while increases were observed for apartments and rooms for rent, as well as for campsites. Both domestic and foreign tourists registered positive values in terms of arrivals and overnight stays in apartments and rooms for rent, as well as in hotels, campsites, tourist guesthouses, and agritourism guesthouses, whereas negative values were recorded for bungalows, tourist villas, and motels.