THE POTENTIAL OF ROMANIAN DESTINATIONS TO MEET THE NEW LUXURY TRAVEL TRENDS. THE CASE OF MARAMURES COUNTY

Abstract

As consumer tastes are constantly transforming, the tourism sector has adapted and had started to approach travellers differently. It is no surprise that the ongoing pandemic impacted individuals’ attitudes and implicitly travelling tastes, which are now oriented towards more authentic and life-changing experiences. If ten years ago, a luxury vacation was described as a one-week long stay at a 5-star hotel, now it is shifting towards what we call ‘a new luxury travel’. Travel agencies worldwide witnessed this trend and described it through five criteria: untouristed and unexpected destinations, country coupling preferences, tasty travels, group getaways, emotional intelligence encounters and enjoying the journey. By following these criteria, our research aims at describing the potential of Maramures county, located in Romania, of meeting this trend. We follow a qualitative type of research that is capable of creating a framework of area’s capacity for becoming a top-rated travel destination. Findings of the paper show positive highlights of Maramures for meeting these trends, through the landscapes, culture and customs it unveils. Results have implications for future scholars in multiple fields, including touristic hosts, travel agencies, tourists but also researchers in the field.