The implementation of digital technology in Romanian rural tourism and the associated challenges

Digitalization is undoubtedly one of the most significant transformations currently reshaping our society. New technologies, including artificial intelligence, augmented reality, cloud computing, etc., are changing the way people plan and experience travel and present opportunities not only to reach new consumers with novel tourism products, but also to improve the operations and performance of businesses in the rural tourism sector and accelerate the transition to more sustainable business models. These changes have created both new opportunities and challenges for tourism businesses, which are striving to meet consumer demands and gain a competitive edge. Accordingly, the objectives of this paper are to examine the extent to which suppliers of rural tourism services in Romania have integrated digital technologies into their operations, to identify the barriers they encounter in this process, and the challenges they perceive. The proposed objectives were achieved through direct research (a survey) conducted among rural tourism service suppliers in Romania. The paper provides an overview of the current state of digitalization in the Romanian rural tourism industry and the challenges associated with adopting digital technologies. The findings reveal that Romanian rural tourism service suppliers have implemented digital technology at a low level, primarily due to challenges such as limited financing, high costs, and inadequate knowledge. The results of this study can provide valuable information to those managing Romanian rural tourist destinations, tourism companies, and to all those interested.