42. Study on Demographics and Tourism as the Main Economic Activity in the Dornelor Country

The current economic and social context generated by the COVID-19 pandemic has made the post-pandemic tourist more attracted by the safety, food, and environmental health in which they choose to spend their leisure time, but also by the desire for authentic experiences. The Dorna Country manages to harmoniously combine all these elements. Among non-agricultural activities, rural tourism, agrotourism, and ecotourism have seen significant development in recent times. These activities play an important role in the economic development of the Dorna Country and, implicitly, in increasing the income of the inhabitants. The tourists’ choice to spend their leisure time in the mountain localities of the Dorna Country determines the support for the entrepreneurial spirit of the inhabitants for the establishment and the development of businesses specific to tourism services. The local products consumed by tourists in tourist accommodation units, originating mostly from their own households and from the Dorna Country area, represent an element of cultural and traditional identity specific to local gastronomy. The Dorna Country offers valuable natural tourist attractions, enhanced by the mountain scenery, based on which a wide range of forms of tourism can be developed.